Alone time

I think spending time alone is nice. I especially like spending time alone when it rains, which it is apparently going to do for the next week here in CO. 

Not everyone agrees, but when you are constantly bombarded by bosses, friends, coworkers, children, spouses, and even people at the grocery store, the last thing you want to do is be around other people. 

Spending time by yourself is a blessing.  Even 5 minutes without others can be beneficial for our health and self-care. Be selfish with your time with yourself.  If possible, block out time on your shared calendar at work, or at home, where other people can see it. You don’t have to label it anything, just show yourself as unavailable. 

I like to eat lunch by myself or take a hot bath with salts at night.  My spouse knows that if the door shuts and a bath is running: I need some alone time.  Most times I either journal or read a book for pleasure.  Use your personal time for things that bring you pleasure.  Drink that extra cup of coffee, read that smutty novel, do half an hour of yoga- and don’t you dare be sorry for it!  The kids will still be hungry, your spouse will still tell you about their day, and your boss will still have comments for you about that project, but those things can wait until your alone time is over. 

Research has shown that:

People who went out with others had just as much fun as people who took themselves out on a date.

So go take yourself on a date!  You’ll have fun.   You’ll get to have and do whatever you want without having to please anyone but yourself.  And that is a NICE thing. 

We’ll talk more about ways to date yourself tomorrow :)

Death and Self-Care

‪#‎MondayMantra‬ -Don't try to understand everything. Sometimes it is not meant to be understood, just accepted. 

One of the hardest things to understand in our life is death, especially the death of someone young and someone you knew, even in passing. There are so many emotions of sadness, anger, and fear that come during this time. Why did he die? He was so young! If it happened to him, it could happen to me too. 

I found out last night that one of my high school classmates passed away.  When you go to a school that graduates 763 kids at a time, it's hard to get to know everyone.  We weren't really friends.  I helped him with his math homework and taught him during our school musical that being a basketball player didn't have to be his only role- singing was fine too. We weren't close and I can't say with all honesty that I liked him, but what I did like about him was that he was always smiling. It was a contagious smile that infused everyone around him with happiness.  That is what the world lost.  It's doesn't matter how he died, just that he was too young, and that his smile is no longer with us.

Honor the life of the the person we lost through coming together with friends and family and reminding them, and yourself that there is love in the world. Have your sadness, your anger at the situation, and when those emotions fade, smile and hug your family and friends, just like that person would have done. We won't necessarily understand the cause and we may never know it. So do what Pashi would have done and smile and love your friends.

When death happens we are so consumed with the emotions and proper arrangements that we forget about self-care all together.  We cry, we reminisce about the person who passed, and we try to understand why it happened.  Sometimes there is no understanding it.  Death is a place we can't go to and talk to the person and ask why.  During this time, we have to take even better care of ourselves.  

What does that mean?

1. Mourn- you need to. 
2. Continue your day to day self care as much as possible. Make that cup of coffee with cream and syrup. Take that long shower you were planning on. 
3. Do something that brings up your spirits and reminds you of good in the world. Do this often in the coming days. It won't make the loss hurt less, but it will empower you and keep your light shining.  

How did I take care of myself this morning in light of this?

1. I had my cry. 

2. I got up and got dressed.

3. I made myself a hot cup of my favorite tea.

4. I drove to my favorite park, Garden of the Gods.

5. I had a morning yoga practice surrounded by the tranquility of the park in view of a huge mountain. 

6. I got myself a donut on the way home. 

An Intro to Meditation

If meditation can help significantly reduce stress in Congolese refugees in just 10 days, do you think it could help you reduce your stress?  

Meditation has been proven to reduce stress, increase positive emotion generation, reduce burnout, increase healing in patients, works as a coping mechanism for those with PTSD, and helps bring the body back to a state of homeostasis. 

So why aren’t you meditating?

I love to meditate in Garden of the Gods

 

Here are the excuses I hear:

1. I don’t have time
2. I don’t know how
3. I can’t stop my brain from going out of control
4. It’s weird
5. I’m not a monk( yes I’ve really heard that one)

Along with breathing exercises, one of the skills that martial arts teaches is meditation.  It is used in combination with breathing exercises to get yourself ready for class and to end class.  Meditation is part of practice for everyone age 4-80.  It becomes an ingrained part of your practice and later your life.  Being able to meditate got me through 50 page graduate school projects, my GRE, comprehensive exams, and multiple other stressors.  I seemed to handle these things better than my peers because I was able to employ meditation as a coping strategy and a stress prevention strategy. 

The easiest way to start meditating is to put 5 minutes in at the beginning of your morning and end of your evening. Guided meditations seem to be easiest for beginners. 

Here is a good 5 minute starter for you...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2UKw8tFYyY

Multiple magazines including Forbes and Entreprenuer have shown that successful people meditate daily.  It doesn’t matter why they meditate, just that they do. There is something about meditation that increases productivity and mental creativity. So far these are only correlations, but hopefully we will see some studies that give us a definitive answer as to what about meditation leads people to be more successful and productive.  Hopefully they an also establish the amount of time necessary to see full benefits of meditation for the general public. 

Take 5 minutes for yourself today and meditate!  You will have a clearer and more focused mind heading into the weekend. 

Who needs Self Care?

Who needs self care?

We all need self care.

We cannot count on others to take care of us.  This is our own responsibility.

Finding time to take care of ourselves can be hard. We have an astronomical amount to do everyday.  Whether you are raising children or building a company, there is tons to do at every second of everyday.  We try to cram 26 hours into a 24 hour day.  That's without time for eating, sleeping, or going to the bathroom.  We live in a society that is always about more; more productivity, more time at work, more tasks. We have to step out of this cycle and realize that taking time for self care is important and necessary in order to accomplish more and to live a healthier life.

Self-care can be as simple as taking 5 minutes to sit in silence or listen to music. It can be attending a yoga class.  It can be sitting on the toilet reading a book so that your kids don't bother you. It can be giving yourself a face mask.  It could be meditating or taking a long, hot shower. Self-care is anything that relaxes you and gives you time to re-energize. It can be anything.  What is self-care for one person could be excruciating and awful for another person.  Self-care is personal.

Have a great Wednesday!

Breathing

You know how to breathe right?

But do you know how to breathe right?

If you said yes, you're probably wrong.  Your body breathes without any conscious thought most of the time.   90% of the population breathes without conscious thought.  In yoga classes and music classes they call proper breathing Diaphrambic breathing- or breathing from your diaphragm.

To find out how you are breathing, place one hand flat on your stomach and one hand flat on your chest.

When you breathe in, which hand moves?  Your stomach hand or your chest hand?

If you said chest hand, you are breathing incorrectly for self care.
If you said stomach hand, you may be breathing correctly for self care.

Breathing is one of the best exercises for self care and relaxation.

The first exercise is short version of a counting breathing exercise.  It is about awareness and relaxation.

1. Find a comfortable position either sitting or standing. Close your eyes.

2. Place one hand on your abdomen and one hand in the center of your chest.

3. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.

4. Concentrate on making your belly hand rise when you breathe in.

5. Breathe in for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4,  and then breathe out for a count of 4. Repeat 4 times.

6. Breathe normally for about 30 seconds and then open your eyes and go about your day. 

The second exercise is a progression breathing exercise that I used in karate to calm myself down after fighting.  This is a long exercise meant to relax and slow breathing.

1. To calm yourself: go someplace where you can be alone: your room, an empty staircase, a bathroom stall, etc. Leave your phone on silent. Do not look at it. 

2. Find a comfortable position either sitting or standing. Close your eyes.

3. Place one hand on your abdomen and one hand in the center of your chest.

4. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.

5. Concentrate on making your belly hand rise when you breathe in.

6. Breathe in for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4,  and then breathe out for a count of 4. Repeat 4 times.

7. Breathe in for a count of 6, hold for six, breathe out for 6.  Repeat 6 times.

8. Breathe in for 8, hold for 8, breathe out for 8. Repeat 8 times.

9. Breathe in for 10, hold for 10, breathe out for 10.  Repeat 10 times. 

10.  Breathe normally for 2 minutes, then open your eyes, and go about your day. 

These are just two breathing exercises.  There will be more I promise.  Not every breathing exercise works as a relaxation and self-care tool for every person.  Keep trying different ones until you find one or two that work well for you. 

Have a great Tuesday and go find some air to breathe!

Change of focus: Self care in the modern world

This blog is about to go through a change of focus.  One of my biggest passions is self care.  

I see everyone around me forgetting to take care of themselves.  I hear about nursing interns who tirelessly take care of patients but haven't eaten or used the bathroom in 12 hours.  I hear about mothers and fathers who are so busy taking care of their spouses, children, and careers that they haven't had 10 minutes to themselves in weeks.  I hear about teachers who go home at night and make end of the year baskets to send home with their kids, so maybe for a few days they won't be hungry, staying up until all hours of the night to make sure they are ready. I hear about graduate students who are working a job to put themselves through school, staying up until all hours of the night to finish projects that their classmates don't care about in order to make sure they maintain a good gpa.


All of these people are important.  Every person on this planet is important.  Yet, we are so worried about taking care of others, that we rarely take time for ourselves.  Because of this trend, I am going to re-focus this blog to specifically talk about self care, research you may find interesting in the field, and how myself and others are teaching ourselves to take care of ourselves too.

Happy Monday!

Live for today

Thousands of people have talked about this. There are country songs about it. It never makes sense to you until you’ve lived through it.  You got the diagnosis of cancer and your life flashed before your eyes.  You were in a car crash.  Your best friend from home died suddenly.  Welcome to reality.  People die everyday for a bajillion different reasons. 

What was my thing?  I’ve a bunch so far.  I’ve been a first responder at three different head on car accidents. And I’ve brought someone back to life with cpr. This is my life.  While I was in insurance, I went to see a client, and her husband had a heart attack right after I walked in the door. (I’m not scary I promise). I ran to the back of the trailer, called 911 and administered CPR to the patient.  He came back to us and they had to shock his heart multiple times to keep him alive until he was safely at the hospital.  I took his wife there driving much faster than I probably should have on dirt roads.  I stayed there with her until her husband was life-flighted to another hospital for specialized care.  Then I drove her home so she could catch a ride to the other hospital with her brother in law.  He died upon landing at the other hospital.  I didn’t find out until the next day. 

I tell you this story because it didn’t change my life at the time. I still worked 70 hours a week and barely saw my spouse.  I bought into the promise that the career would change my life.  In the end, it did change my life.  I woke up one day and I’d had enough.  It reminded me that life is meant to be lived with the people you care about. No matter how short that period of time is.  The couple whose husband had the heart attack were middle aged and had only been married 3 years.  They hadn’t found each other until late in life.  I am so lucky to have found my person pretty early in my life.  Tomorrow he could be gone.  Life is tricky and messy and unplanned. It starts and it ends without a lot of warning sometimes.  

You have to live for now.  Tomorrow you could be in a car accident and die. It could happen at any time.  Remember that you are strong and that your life makes a difference in the big scheme of things.  So why not do something with your time.  I know binge watching tv shows can be awesome and sometimes its all you want to do, but if that was your last day on earth would you be satisfied with the way you spent it? 

Call your parents.  Tell them you love them.  Call your kids.  Tell them you love them.  Call your friends.  Tell them that you care.  Make plans with these people.  Even if it is to binge watch House of Cards or Game of Thrones or the Big Bang Theory.  Be glad that you did it with someone you care about.  You never know what will be your last moment.  So try not to fight about the little things- though they seem important at the time, love as much as you can, and live like today was your last day. You never know if it is. 

Live for now, because you don’t know if tomorrow will come. 

Day in Day out,

B

Signs you are TOO stressed

What do you do when you become too stressed?  

What role does it play on your health?

These are just some of the symptoms of being too stressed. If you are experiencing these symptoms(you may just be hormonal), please seek help from a friend, spouse, parent, a doctor, or a counselor depending on your preference. 

When it happens to me, there are a few steps that I take...

1. write out everything that is causing me stress and running through my head- free form- I just write it out.

2. Make a cup of tea.

3. Take a long hot bath and read a book for pleasure.  

4.  Step 4 is an as needed- sometimes I just need to have a good cry and admit I’m being utterly ridiculous

5.  Get a hug from my spouse- physical contact and knowing that it’s someone who cares about me, is very important. 

6.  Eat a good meal- nothing fried or overly fatty.  I try for lean meat or fish, a leafy green salad, a side green veggie, a piece of italian bread with butter, and a cup of milk.

7.  Go to bed early

 

In order to decrease the amount of time that you spend in the past the point of no return stress stage, do little things each week that decrease your stress. I take a bath with salts and oil at least once a week.  I try to start my morning with a cup of tea. I hug my spouse as often as possible.  I try to eat well.  These things keep me from hitting my too stressed point. 

Take some time to write down things that help you when you are stressed to the max. 

Have a great weekend!

Day in Day out,

Beth

10 Ways to Help you Reduce Stress RIGHT NOW!

If you think dealing with stress is not important to the population, take a look at the newsstands- Popular Science is even featuring Stress as their centerfold article this month.  

Stress is something we deal with all the time.  Most people do not even realize that what they are feeling it because it is such an inherent part of our lives.  Women are more stressed than men.  Employed people are less stressed than those who are unemployed.  Most of these things are a DUH right?  We all deal with stress on a daily basis and we all deal with it differently. 

People seem to think that feeling stress and showing that you are feeling stress is shameful.  There is NOTHING shameful about feeling stress or showing that you are stressed.  We live in a world where showing any feeling other than happiness is frowned upon.  GET OVER IT WORLD!  I love being a ray of sunshine, but the reality is that I get sad, stressed, lonely, and mad just like everyone else.   Show your feelings and emotions- it is stabilizing for the body.  

My body will clearly tell me if I’m too stressed.  I’ll start to get sores in my mouth and my immune system will take a hit.  It’s important to know what that point is for you.

The ideal would be to never get to the point where you are so stressed that your body is giving you clear warning signs, but most of us are so used to constant stress in our lives, that this can be hard to identify in it’s pre-stages. Stress will show itself in different ways in each person.  Often, we know what those signs are, but we ignore them. 

For instruction on giving yourself a hand massage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=168lKIyc3lw  and she has a great accent which is fun too!

Check in tomorrow to find out 10 ways to help yourself when your stress goes over the tipping point to TOO stressed and what impact it has on your health. 

Day in Day out,

Beth

Find yourself in the Quiet

It’s been more years than I can count since I really had time alone.  Today I sat in the quiet of my apartment taking that in and trying to see if I was lonely... or relieved. David has been a constant presence by my side for the last 22 months and I am beyond grateful his companionship and love.  Before that I had roommates through all 4 years of college,  15 at once for a year while I lived in the sorority house, and so for the first time, I’m sitting here alone. 

I forgot how nice it is to have some time to yourself.  It’s nice to think and plan and dream quietly all alone. We live in a world that values constant, instantaneous communication.  That constant communication can be wonderful or it can drain you. 

In valuing my quiet time to myself this morning, I put on the Pandora classical for studying as I have a biomechanics exam tomorrow, sat down at my computer, and started to study.  It was as simple as that.  I got up after 20 minutes of uninterrupted study and made a matcha smoothie all with quiet classical music playing in the background.  This new found quiet and peace is fabulous.  I forgot what time by myself felt like, and how productive I can be when I’m left to my own devices with no one to take my attention away from my tasks. 

Time by myself is a commodity that I didn’t realize I was missing.  I love being with my significant other.  He makes me a more relaxed and happy person.  But, we all need time alone.  It may be time spent meditating, sitting in a hot bath reading a smutty book, watching a football game,  or hiking a mountain, but that alone time is key to our personal development and stress relief.  Try to find some time to take today by yourself wherever is peaceful for you and just enjoy the silence.  You may find something you thought you lost long ago- yourself. 

Day in Day out,

Beth

ps.  Firework by the Dallas String Quartet is a great rethinking of the Katy Perry song.  It is relaxing, uplifting, and fun at the same time. Check them out on Pandora or Youtube. 

"To be"...and variations of(A fun activity) and #LoveMe challenge day 4

#Loveme Challenge day 4: Someone who loves me

My guy:  This is my guy.

He loves me unconditionally.  No matter how stressed/bitchy/happy/excited I am, he loves me. He is the person I want to build my life with.



For some reason I cannot get this rhyme out of my head. My 6th Grade English teacher, Mrs. Peters taught this to us to remember all of the sides of the word "to be".

This exercise is great for kinetic learners and it's fun!

(Take arm straight down the center for each of these)

Am        

Is

Are  

Was

Were 

(Take arm to the left for the first column, center for the second column, and right for the third)

Be                       Have              Do

   Being                  Has                Does

 Been                   Had                Did

(Hands windshield wiper from side to side)

Can      Could

Shall     Should

Will    Would

(Take arm straight down the center for each of these)

May

Might

Must

(Have kids put hands to sides and bring in like they are pulling weights in to their bodies)

Uh! 

This is stuck in my head.  I hope it can help you teach your children or students.  I don't want her amazing teaching and fun memory tools to be forgotten. 

HOT YOGA! 5 things you need

#Loveme Challenge day 3: A word that describes me

My word is Driven.  I am driven to do what makes me happy, brings me peace, and helps to better the world. For me, that is helping people through mental skills training. Everyone can be better in some way: better time management, awareness, talk less negatively about themselves, control their anger, learn to relax and let go, etc. That's where I come in. These are all things that can be taught.  The biggest demon: is the one between your ears. Learning to conquer those demons can help you do better in sports, at work, and in your personal life.


Today is also day 11 of my 100 day challenge.
I got in a yoga workout. A HOT yoga workout...I'll tell you all about it.  100+ degrees, candlelight, backlights, and an hour of yoga- I'm not sure I've been that sweaty in a year.  It was fabulous!

 If you haven't given hot yoga a try here is what you need...


1. Moisture wicking shorts and a moisture wicking tank. It's going to be REALLY hot.
2. A towel to wipe off the copious amounts of sweat that you will sweat.
3. The largest bottle of water you can find- filled with ice. It will melt during your class.
4.  If you have asthma, I would recommend also having your inhaler handy.  High heat and exercise can trigger asthma symptoms. 
5. A great attitude- if you like hot, you will be happy in the heat, but be aware, it is really hot.  Keep your attitude up.




Have a great day guys!
<3 B

5 Reasons Going to the Gyno Sucks- and 5 Reasons You Need To Go

I woke up early this morning and immediately regretted the decision, today is the day.  I have to go get my Well Woman check up for the year.  I kept putting it off because while I was working it was impossible to get time off to go take care of it.  Now that schooling is my primary function- my schedule opened up. I knew I needed to do it, but no woman enjoys going to see the Gynecologist.

5 Reasons Going to the Gyno Sucks
1. Everyone has cold hands.  I have never met one who has warm hands- nurses, techs, or the doctor.  BRRR
2. Being partially or fully naked with a little paper sheet to cover you.  Being cold sucks! Cold hands +cold room+ naked= NOT HAPPY
3. Sharing personal information about your sexual habits and activities with someone who is not a trusted friend or your spouse/sexual partner. - AWKWARD
4. Not knowing how much to share with the doctor. Every symptom may be something, but most of us are not comfortable sharing these things with our doctor. We are constantly afraid something is wrong with us.- FEAR
5. Someone who is not you or your spouse/sexual partner touching your lady parts- UNCOMFORTABLE

5 Reasons you need to go to the Gyno
1.  Pap smears are only every 3 years now!
2. You need to talk about your sexual health with someone other than friends and your partner.  A doctor knows a lot more about your reproductive system than you do.
3. Making sure to get an exam yearly will lead to higher detection of abnormal symptoms - breast lumps, cervical cancer etc.
4. Just like you get a yearly physical from your primary care physician, you need a check of your lady parts once a year.  Guys turn and cough, we get probed. Just do it.
5. Your birth control that you have been taking may be screwing with your emotions, period pain, menstrual cycle, likelihood of getting pregnant, etc- talk to your Gynecologist every year about whether what you are currently taking is serving you well and whether there may be something better on the market for you.  If you have an IUD- YOU NEED TO GO YEARLY TO HAVE IT CHECKED!

Extra tips:

• If something seems weird -it probably is- write it down and call your Gynecologist to make an appointment. 
•  Do not stay with a gynecologist who you do not like- you have every right to switch to someone who makes you more comfortable. 
•   Ladies still in school- even if your university has a womens' health center- you may be better off going to an off campus provider- Just make sure it's covered by your insurance. 

#Loveme Challenge Day 2

A picture of me- right after working out

I love my body!  I am not doing my 100 day challenge to change my body because I feel negative towards it!  I'm working out because it's good for me and because working out brings more serotonin into my blood stream(it's the chemical that makes you feel happy). I LOVE this body!  It enables me to do everything I want(except for handstands and splits- but I'm working on getting there)

Happy Monday!

<3 B

100 Day Challenge- Day 9+10 #Loveme day 1

100 Day Challenge Day 9+10

So, I wrote yesterday, looked back on it today and decided not to post it.  Sometimes that happens. I took the day off yesterday and today from working out. My body was so sore, I spent most of yesterday hydrating and sitting on a heat pad.


#Loveme Day 1: Why am I doing #Loveme?

I am doing the  #Loveme challenge because I want to. I haven't done a challenge of someone else's and I think it will be fun. On top of my own challenge it will encourage me to interact with other's who are doing this challenge and will foster personal growth.

For more information: http://pepperscraps.com/loveme-challenge-learn-to-love-you/


Here is a quick look at the last two days for me, in pictures...

 GO PATRIOTS!!!! 

SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We had this wonderful black and tan beer by Mississippi Mud! With the buffalo chicken dip you see in the background. 

Here is what I did yesterday....Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi with Bacon- Basil Tomato Sauce

Go to recipe here!

It makes a ridiculous amount of gnocchi! For two of us, we had to freeze 2/3'rds of it.  Ready to have it again at least once this week!

Happy Weekend loves!

<3 B

100 Day Challenge - Day 8

100 Day Challenge- Day 8

One of the best things about a challenge- is that you can re-evaluate whether what you are doing is working or not.

My workouts- are NOT working for me.  They were too time intensive and unless I have someone telling me how many of something I have to do- I'm a goner.  So i evaluated how I was doing towards my goals and decided to change my mind.  I have 7 fitness dvd's ranging from bootcamp style, to chair workouts, to yoga.  I have more yoga dvd's than anything else. I am set to do yoga every other day in my current mix.

Here are my choices

I did YogaCore today- OUCH!  It kicked my abs and booty! This one is NOT for beginners without modifications.

The guy got a kick out of me doing it.  I ate it during triangle. Totally fell on my butt. I guess my core isn't as strong as it needs to be combined with my terrible balance= falling over.

At least we can laugh together. :)

Tomorrow- One Day Fat Blast from the ladies of Tone it Up!  I've never done this workout either and I'm pretty excited about it.  My gbig(in the sorority) is a big fan, so I can't wait to try it out for myself. 

I know I'm going to be sore, but results don't come for those who never got sore. 

The guy is currently outside getting some social interaction and sweat on playing basketball at the church across the street leaving me a few minutes to myself.  So I'm writing this and watching Bizarre Foods: Delicious Destinations Athens. 

It's almost the weekend!

<3 B

PS. Get set for another challenge on top of the 100 day challenge- this one anyone can participate in. It's the #LoveMe Challenge. Find out more about it here: http://pepperscraps.com/loveme-challenge-learn-to-love-you/ and join in on the fun! It starts Feb 1- that gives you two more days to get signed up! 

100 Day Challenge- Day 7

100 Day Challenge Day 7

After the last couple of days...I'm sore.  Today- I focused on deep stretches in yoga and a shorter ab workout.

We played tourist in our own town this morning without spending a dime!  It was a fun date! We went to the Pioneer Museum.  It used to be the Courthouse prior to it's move across the street. The building is stunning.  If we were planning a CO wedding, we would definitely want pictures taken there.  It's been around since 1903.  It has a working elevator from the 1900's and an old fashioned cash register(those were the guy's favorite parts).  There was an exhibit about the Waldo Canyon Fire and the Black Forest Fire- both of which were devastating to Colorado Springs. Both happened before we arrived to the Springs by a few months. Since we spent time in Waldo Canyon yesterday, it was amazing to see footage of it prior to the fire, during the fire, and to see it in person now.  The exhibits were cool and many were hands-on.  It would have been wonderful to bring kids along. One of the courtrooms was still intact and is lovely. My pictures do not do it justice. 

For more information on the Pioneer Museum please visit:http://www.cspm.org

The guy tried sushi for the first time today- at our local King Soopers(that's Kroger for those of you on the east coast). To top it all off- it was good and he liked it!  Mind you, it had no raw fish in it, but it's a start. 

I got in a good workout and we met two doggies- a pug and a scruffy puppy of some kind- who came visiting(they ran away from home). Luckily they had "if lost please call my mom at _____" . We called mom who came and got them, but it was nice to see them returned. 

I hope your day was as awesome as mine!

<3 B

100 Day Challenge- Day 6

100 Day Challenge- Day 6

Another wonderful day! Such a positive one!

1. The guy had an amazing interview with a company that has room for advancement.
2. Got 100% on my biomechanics assignment
3. Saw the heights of Colorado Springs( I won't drive it again) in the Waldo Canyon area
4. Got in a walk and hike
5. Did yoga and an abs/arms workout
6. Made a delicious dinner of butter chicken
7. Had lunch on top of Garden of the Gods
8. I got the guy to take a selfie!


              The hike we went on yesterday in Garden of the Gods peaked our interest towards the access road that we were hiking.  It is one car wide for most of its length.  It is full of sharp, blind turns, and idiotic teenagers driving their parent's subaru's WAY too fast.  Needless to say, I was nervous as soon as we got on the road.  
              We went 8 miles into the Waldo Canyon area before I chickened out. It was truly beautiful to see these sights that I never would've gotten to see otherwise; huge canyons, blue sky that doesn't seem to end, green trees, and huge scarred areas. However,  I have no interest in falling off a mountain. I am NOT a fan of heights!  We were REALLY high up with no place to go if someone came tearing around one of those blind curves. We made it up and back down to Garden of the Gods with no major mishaps, thank goodness. I would've taken pictures, but I was too busy trying not to die! Next time, the guy can drive.  

              After our driving adventure- we decided to rock climb before having a snack.  We climbed up some of the beautiful red rocks and found ourselves an alcove in which to have a snack.  We also tried our camelbacks for the first time today.  Both work wonderfully! Here are some of the pictures- yes we took a selfie!

I even had a glass of wine with the butter chicken I made for dinner!

Have a great day!
<3 B

100 Day Challenge- Day 5

100 Day Challenge- Day 5

Today has been a wonderful day!

I started the day making ham and cheese omelets in our super cool- special omelet making pan.

Here is the omelet- weird how it turns out round huh?

But it was so delicious!!!!

 I did an entire sink-full of dishes.  We got dressed and went to Garden of the Gods.  We stopped at the Red Rocks park prior to going to Garden of the Gods, but it was way too muddy to attempt without mountain bikes.  We went on a 3 mile hike into Garden of the Gods.  It was beautiful.  It was 65 degrees and sunny.  I got a tan.  How awesome is that?! It's January in Colorado and I got a suntan.  Maybe I'll have a tan prior to the cruise after all.

Here are some of the pictures from our hike today. Excuse the odd squinty eye picture. ;)

Ab workout- done

Blog- done

Hike- done

Tan- done

Today was a wonderful day of positivity! I hope it was for you as well!

<3 B

Sunday Funday- 100 day challenge day 3+4

Today is Sunday Funday!  I am really trying to implement this with my guy.  So far, we have success.

It is also day 3+4 of my 100 day challenge.

I got in a workout while the guy slept. 
I did my first try on my homework assignment; it did not go very well. I have a score on the board though and two more tries. 
I showered and have eaten 2x already. 
I think we are going to go for a hike in Garden of the Gods later and then have a romantic dinner and play some rummy while we watch a movie. 

Yay SUNDAY FUNDAY!


Yesterday
Got in a 30 minute ab+ arms workout. Got in a 20 minute yoga workout. 
Wrote 2 pages in my book
Studied for my biomechanics class
Took a 2 hour nap(AMAZING!)
Made a delicious snack
Took my vitamins(thanks Auntie Cathy!)


Happy Sunday!
<3 B

100 day challenge- Day 2

Today is Day 2 of my 100 day challenge.

Today has been awesome!
1. Worked out- 30 minutes yoga. 20 minute ab workout
2. Wrote the blog :)
3. Wrote two pages of my book :)
4. Drank 120 oz of water so far.

Have a little studying to do and then tomorrow tackling our homework assignment.
Have a great weekend!!!!!
<3 B

Short and sweet

Today was a long day somehow. So here is the short and sweet version.

1. I got a lot accomplished.
1. Yoga 20 minutes
2. Ab and arms workout 15 minutes
3. Paid bills
4. Wrote this blog
5. Was completely stumped by my biomechanics class
6. Did dishes like a mad woman. 

That's all for today folks!

<3 B

100 Day Challenge-The Setup

The 100 Day Challenge- The Setup

I am terrible at writing this everyday.  

I am terrible at writing everyday to begin with. 

I'm trying to write a book and I'm all of 7 pages into it. 

I am terrible at keeping to my goals when it comes to things that are not school related. 

I want to accomplish them, I really do. 

So for the next 100 days I'm going to focus on these 3 areas. I'm going to think of it as my 100 day challenge.  114 days to cruise time!

1. Writing
1. Blog- Write once per day
2. Book- 2 pages per day- research and exercises
2. Exercise
1. Abs
1. Everyday - 10 minutes
2. Arms
1. Every 3 days- 10 minutes
3. Yoga
1. 10-30 minutes daily
3. Water drinking
1. 100 oz per day

These are my goals.  Yes they aren't smart goals.   We'll get to that tomorrow. I like this outline for now. 

<3 B