New times with old friends…

Today started off with a glorious reunion with an old friend.  I had been anticipating it all last night, and was way too excited to just hurry up and rush out of bed!  I get attached quickly, so when I am separated for long(ish) amounts of time, I start to get a little anxious and antsy!  Today was the day and I was totally like a kid on Christmas morning…

Hello my lovely, long lost, overnight oats!!  I have missed you, thought about you and drooled about you for about 2 months!!!  So glad to see you again!  My yummy oats (minus the chia seeds, those are being shipped as we speak), with some homemade granola, and sliced banana!  I got to enjoy these on my sunny front balcony this morning as the boys were still sleeping!

I did have one new addition this time around ~ Organic Agave Nectar…I was never able to get it before, and I found it in the store this week.  I may or may not have jumped and screamed a bit with excitement when I saw it in the store!  That was mixed in this morning before the toppings…nice, sweet and light!

Nothing can go as well with my loyal oats as my equally loyal (yet sometimes forgotten) green tea….in my Korean tea set!  I got this set after my first temple stay with Dok Jin-Sunim one chilly January weekend.  We had a tea service in his living area while he spoke to me about the losses I had faced (miscarriages) and how to re-connect with, and trust my body again.  He taught me about being the creator of all things in my life and also how to slowly re-train my  mind to become slower, more calm, and more patient.  

I get away from this way too often; however, every time I whip out my tea set, I think of that time and our few visits together and it helps me slow it all down…even if just for a little while!  So what time could be better for that reminder than a gorgeous morning on my balcony, with my oats and daily journal? 

Besides, it is always nice to reminisce of times past while in a new place!  I find it very comforting to drink my tea and know that I have enjoyed this tea set in Korea, Japan, and now Germany!  Oh the stories this tea set will be able to tell…like how James and I used to have evening tea ceremony together when he was two years old…

Some things never get old!

What old things feel new again after you have not seen/used them for a while?  What old things always help you tell new stories, or help bring comfort to new situations?

Weekly Goals Jan 31st- Feb 6th

So how did I do over the past week??  GREAT!!!!

The Goals were:

1. Two strength training/core work: 1 Yoga, 1 Pilates at least 30 minutes each! – switched this up a bit by doing one pilates for 30 minutes and then two 30 day shred workouts! (So I added an extra core/strength!!)
2. Running 3 days- complete Week 4 of C25K program and track distance/times…complete each program-no stopping! DONE and with flying colors.  Significantly cut out walking times and upped the speed!!
3. Track all food and do not use activity/extra points DONE and even blogged about how I had left over points+ on my ‘treat day’ I ended up with the following point totals left over for the week (my daily value is 29) Weekly Extras– 49 (none used) Activity Points -20 (non used) Extra Daily Points- 43 (never carried over anyways).
4. Journal/Blog everydayDONE- made sure to address any issues I had, write about them, and try to find a good balance!!

So now for the new goals!!!

1. Read my daily teachings everyday to help keep me calm and more relaxed
2. Complete C25K week 5- even though the last day seems  a little hard
3. Enjoy a FULL day for my family, having fun and enjoying each other’s company
4. Do 2 Shred workouts, 1 yoga workout
5. Practice my moderation eating, don’t police myself too harshly!

What kind of goals do you set for yourself?  Are you able to stick to goals you set, or are they too hard to attain?  What is one weakness you would like to overcome?

Sleep through the static…

…Or at least live through it and learn from it!

So weekends are hard, I usually mention that I get one day a week to hang out with my Hub!  He has officially become totally adjusted to the 12 hour night shift which means he is up all night and then needs to sleep half of the day in order to function.  It is great he is adjusted, but it makes it really hard for us to hang out because I feel so badly for making him stay awake!  Saturday night I was really tired and just felt worn out.  The Hub wanted to hang out back because night is when he has his energy (it was too cold for me) and I wanted to lay down to watch a movie because my 4am wake-ups leave me with NO energy at night.  It was a battle of the sleep routine and it ended in a battle of the wills 😦  Luckily, this is the last week for night shift so this weekend will be A LOT better (not to mention we have our ‘Pancakes and UFC‘ this coming Sunday)!

I woke up at 4:50am (of course I did!) and tended to the Youngin’.  James and Eric had a sleep over in the tent they put up in the backyard (no, thank you…again, way too cold).  I cleaned, did dishes, started laundry, scrubbed the floors and then had the Youngin’ back down for a nap by 6:55am..what a pathetic energetic start to a relaxing Sunday!  I made some gluten free pancakes and an egg beater omelet for fuel before the gym.

I woke the boys outside to let them know I was on the way to the gym for my run (C25K Week 5 Day 1).  I was given grief about ‘making them come inside’ but I felt I deserved a trip to the gym since I was up through out the night with the Youngin’ AND up at 4:50am with him….so, I went.  It was great!!!!  Although freezing, I warmed up and then went to it.  I cut down walking time again so I did 15 minutes of running with only 2 minutes of walking in between.  Still small to others, but BIG for me!!!  It felt great!!

The next part of ‘me time’ was meeting a friend for breakfast at a really nice little restaurant: “Rose Garden”

Rose Garden

We were meeting up to talk about life, lessons, learning and most importantly, how I can learn to clear the static from my head and just relax.  Disclaimer: This next part is not to impose on others, give others advice, or imply that what I believe is right.  We talked about Buddhism. Creating the life around us and enjoying what we create, good or bad.  This is something I feel applies to me so this is the path I follow.  I know that others do not stress me out, that situations do not stress me out and that I am the one who causes whatever turmoil might be taking place…that is not a negative thing.  It is just my belief that I am IN control whether it is positive or negative that surrounds me.  I just need a good reminder and sense of refreshment, so off to the Rose Garden we went for some good venting/readjusting!

The view from where we sat...so cozy!

I had egg whites, an English Muffin with sugar-free jelly, and a coffee (I even brought a little container of skim milk so I wouldn’t have to use cream).  I felt a lot better after our relaxing chat and about making a plan to get back into meditation through Soka Gakkai International.  It is nice to have people surround you who bring you a sense of peace and calm 🙂

A lotus sheds it seeds at the same time it blooms- cause and effect just like any thought or action will cause an effect in our lives

Afterwards, I went home to three sleepy boys!  I did some more cleaning, baked some tofu, grilled veggies for the week, made a tofu/chicken mixture, tofu pudding, and then sat down to relax!  Before I knew it I was hungry and needing  lunch/snack, so I whipped up a multi-plate!

Pita, hummus, chicken w spinach, eggplant, peppers, and some grapes

At this point I was feeling really tired (more laundry, dishes and cleaning were done).  I laid on the sofa for a lovely nap, but it was short-lived because the Youngin’ decided Sunday was not going to be a napping kind of day.  We hung out, played, practiced walking along the coffee table, and watched some Baby Einstein.  Eric woke up in time to hang out a little while I made my lunch for tomorrow, and then he was off to work (again, I hate 12 hour night shifts).  When the boys were settled I decided to bust out the Shred…ahh, hurt so good!!!

Busted out some skipping and jumping jacks afterward to up the calorie burning!

Then it was time for dinner.  I was not in the mood to make anything and did not have my daily Peanut Butter intake so I went with some WW bread with 3/4Tb Peanut Butter, a sliced apple and 1/2c FF ice cream with 1/1tsp coconut for my treat (all in moderations 🙂 ).  I still have 7 points+ left for the day!!!

Turns out the boys are feeling just as burnt out as I am at this time, so we are all going to hit the hay early.  I am going to read my “Buddha” by Deepak Chopra, and try to sleep through the night and sleep through whatever static has been keeping me up…let’s see how this goes!!

How do you unwind when you are unable to sleep?  What calms you when you feel overwhelmed?