Time Change Weekend

Hey there sports fans! Hope you had an awesome weekend. Mine was wonderful, especially today. I actually kept the camera tucked away for most of it, but here are some highlights.

On Friday, after work, my parents arrived at our apartment for dinner in. We kept it simple with homemade pizza (one was pesto with mozzarella and tomato; the other was marinara sauce, eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, and sausage) and salad. My parents also both got to feel the baby kick! I'm glad our little one cooperated. 

Saturday morning, we met up fairly early for a hike out in Malibu. It was the same hike Terry and I did on Valentine's Day, and unfortunately the "waterfall" wasn't too much more exciting this time, but we still enjoyed the walk.

Next up, we went to The Apple Pan for lunch, as I mentioned we would. Since it's counter-seating only, I worried we would struggle with finding four stools together, but we had no problem and were in and out within about 20 minutes! Terry and Dad each had the Hickory burger, Mom and I split the Steak burger, we all had some fries, and Terry and I split a slice of banana cream pie. Amazing!

We spent a good amount of the afternoon hanging out by the pool (it was a HOT weekend in LA!), and I even swam a few laps. Then we walked over to a nearby mall to see if we could find a bridesmaid dress option for Jenn's wedding. She's letting us choose our own dresses, but given the circumstances--the fact that I'm currently six months pregnant and therefore can't try on any non-maternity clothes; the fact that I hope to be nursing and don't know how my body will change; the fact that I will want to take my time getting back to my normal body and therefore don't know how clothes will fit two months post-birth--makes the whole thing a bit complicated. Still, I'm looking whenever I get the chance, and hopefully I'll just fit when the time comes. 

Saturday night Terry and I took my parents to Westside Tavern, which I've written about before. We had to wait almost an hour, which made me feel bad, but they agreed it was worth it. That place is just so tasty!

Today we all agreed to sleep in. Dad was fighting a cold all weekend, and we needed some rest. When we finally did get together, it was for an early lunch at Terranea in Palos Verdes. We chose Nelson's, and it was an absolutely gorgeous day to eat outside!

My meal: turkey chopped salad

Terry and Dad's meals: BBQ pulled pork sandwich

Mom's meal (I was so proud): burger with Burrata

And look at the view!

And then...the big news for us: We signed a lease! After seeing almost 25 places, we finally found something suitable for the next year. We'll have more space in a quieter neighborhood, and we might even have less traffic. I really think this place will be awesome for us, and I am feeling much less anxious now that we have our home secured for the next year.

Terry and I finished up the weekend with our second birth class, some leftover pizza and salad for dinner, and quality time with our TV. It was a wonderful weekend. I know that 5 am alarm clock might feel miserable tomorrow, but I'm so relieved to have this whole living situation taken care of that I don't care!

Do you love or hate the time change? I think I love it. When we left our birth class and it was still light outside, I felt all sorts of excited.

Get Rid of that Stress

Today was a tough day. Terry found out he'll be leaving for work again, for a month this time, and I immediately felt a wave of anxiety wash over me. I know I'll be okay; I've been alone for weeks at a time before and I'll have the cat to keep me company.

But it's never easy to be apart from the person you love, especially for an extended period of time. And when Terry goes to the East Coast, the time difference makes it tough to communicate. He works long hours, and we can usually only talk for half an hour each night before he needs to get some rest.

Anticipating his departure and thinking of the fact that he'll be all alone out there (with the exception of his coworkers, of course, and thankfully they're pretty awesome) made me particularly anxious today. So finally, around 5:30, Terry and I headed out for a little cardio.

We ran for two minutes, walked for one minute, for a total of 30 minutes. It was perfect. I felt myself relax almost immediately in the fresh air as I got my legs moving and got my heart rate going in a positive way. It wasn't an especially difficult workout--we didn't even complete three miles--but I needed it. And of course, it didn't cure me completely. Even as I write this post I'm still feeling bummed that Terry will be leaving. But I also know I have tools and methods at my disposal for tackling whatever stress comes our way in the next few months.

Exercise is my favorite stress reliever. On the worst days, a quick bout of exercise works wonders on my mood and general outlook, and I know the physical benefits even go beyond that. Exercising during the day helps me sleep better at night, which in turn starts the next day on a less stressful note.

But I like having multiple options for relieving stress and mellowing out when life gets a little rough, and I've found a few that work (some better than others, some more long-term than others):

• Cleaning house. I don't know why, but there's something therapeutic about tidying up, vacuuming, washing dishes, wiping counters. I guess when I can restore order to one area of my life, I feel a little relieved. I'm not the only one, though; friends have told me that cleaning makes them feel more relaxed, too. And is there anything better than coming home to a clean house?
• Deep breathing. It's a classic technique, but it works. A few deep breaths help me calm down if I'm in the middle of a really rough day. But this one only lasts a little while; some days I find myself taking breathing breaks every five minutes, and I know it's time to try something else.
• Writing. Obviously, writing is an outlet for me, and sometimes writing helps me vent, get my thoughts straight, or just take a time out. Usually as I write I discover that the problems I thought were so overwhelming are actually minor and manageable. 
• Cutting back on caffeine. If I notice a few days in a row are a little more stressful than usual, I skip the morning tea. I've already got enough adrenaline from whatever is going on in my life, and I don't need the extra pick-me-up anyway. It also helps me stay calm in the mornings.
• Talk it out. What's better than chatting with a friend, family member, or spouse about whatever is going on? Usually chatting with Terry or friends or family ends in a good laugh and feeling like I got a big hug. 
• Ice cream. If all else fails, ice cream is the answer.

Stress and anxiety have been issues in my life for as long as I can remember, but I like to think I'm getting better about finding healthy ways to manage and reduce my stress. And that's what today was all about; here's hoping the rest of the week will be even better.

What's your favorite healthy stress reliever? 

Keep Calm and Carry On

It's SO overdone, isn't it?

(Source)

But...it's still fantastic. Granted, I'm biased, because I love (almost) anything British, but even objectively this slogan has such a simple, healthy message. Don't panic; move forward. Take a breath; keep going. The idea actually does calm me down.

It also makes me wish I could be back in London.

If you didn't guess, today threw some major stress bombs at me from all over the place. When I got home from work, I needed a break from school-related work, so I spent almost two hours cleaning the house. I'm sure there's a psychological connection there--I feel like I'm not in control so I take charge of the stuff I can control? I clean the house to convince myself I'm actually organized?--but I'm not going to read into it.

When Terry got home, I was more than ready for our run. Given the late workout, we switched our Tuesday and Wednesday plans and tackled 3 miles today, though they weren't particularly speedy (6.3 mph average, not even our target 10K speed, but oh well). I also added some stretching before calling it a day and cooking dinner.

Thankfully, cooking feels therapeutic for me, too, especially when I have a glass of syrah and Cougar Town on in the background. Tonight's meal: eggplant and spinach pasta casserole. I completely forgot to buy mozzarella, so I mixed in some ricotta and sprinkled Parmesan on top for cheesy deliciousness. I promise to post a picture and perhaps a more detailed recipe tomorrow for WIAW--my camera is too far away right now. (Yep, it's been that kind of day!)

Okay, some other ways I love to relieve stress, because it will relax me before bed on this so-glad-it's-over-and-I-know-tomorrow-will-be-better day:

• Hanging out with my husband.
• Hanging out with my crazy kitten.

In this photo, Scout couldn't play with his old toys; he had to drag out the new toys--still on the cardboard.

• Reading, although sometimes reading stresses me out more because I feel like I should be doing something else. 
• Working on a puzzle. That feeling of getting a piece to fit is indescribable. 
• Organizing my classroom. 
• Planning workouts. 
• Daydreaming about vacations.

But ultimately, I know it will pass, and I know tomorrow will be better. I'm already looking forward to some time with my coworkers after school and a much less crazy day.

What's your favorite way to wind down at the end of a rough day?

By the way, if you're curious, the "Keep calm and carry on" slogan started as a morale-booster in Great Britain at the start of WWII, but it never received any public display. It was rediscovered 13 years ago and has become a wild craze--mostly on Pinterest.

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Summer has been a whirlwind so far! My two real days off have felt hectic and rushed, but I hope a few days like this will lead to a more restful July and August.

BBQ Pulled Pork

Last night, we enjoyed the last leftovers of Thursday night's dinner, a recipe I promised to share--and I try to make good on my promises!

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches - in the slow cooker
Serves 12

For the pork:

• 2 2-lb. boneless pork loin, trimmed of fat and cut into 8 pieces
• 1 cup prepared BBQ sauce (I like Trader Joe's All-Natural)
• 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Place the pork pieces in your slow cooker and cover with the BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper, then "stir" to make sure all the pork is coated evenly. Cover and turn on low for 6-8 hours, until pork is cooked through. Shred with two forks.

For the sandwiches:

• Whole wheat hamburger buns 
• Sliced red onion
• Pepperjack cheese, sliced
• Sour cream, for topping
• Extra BBQ sauce, for topping

Toast the buns (bonus: brush with a little olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder before toasting). Spoon shredded pork onto buns and place sliced cheese on top. Top with sour cream, BBQ sauce, and red onion. Enjoy!

After that delicious meal, Terry and I caught up on our respective weekends and got to bed. Today I tried to sleep in, but construction work in our apartment complex and a certain noisy cat made for a restless last hour. Couple that with the fact that I struggled to fall asleep last night, and I was exhausted this morning. Still, I woke up to a fun surprise: Our neighbor asked us to help walk her adorable dog in the evening! After I grabbed their keys, I came back to make breakfast, but my stomach felt horrible. It happens when I get stressed or anxious, but today was particularly rough. So I made a smoothie, but I couldn't stomach it; instead I popped it in the freezer for later. 

I had a huge to-do list to tackle, and I attacked it right away. I'm not the type to get a massage or pedicure to ease my stress; if I'm anxious about something, I need to get things done. This morning I was motivated and jazzed by my anxiety, so I crossed off about ten items by the time my phone signaled that I should head to my much-needed haircut. Productive mornings really do lower my stress, because I feel that I haven't wasted time and that I've gotten a lot done.

My stomach started to feel better by lunch, so I scarfed down my first real meal of the day: an egg sandwich on a whole-wheat English muffin with Havarti cheese and jelly.

A few more hours of crossing items off my to-do list, a trip to Trader Joe's, and a little nap later, I woke up to take Bree (our neighbor's dog) on her walk. She was just a bundle of energy! Terry met up with us after he got home, and she leapt--all four paws at least a foot off the ground--when she saw him. Adorable. We can't wait to get a puppy.

Wait

What did you say?

A puppy?

Is that what you said?

Well hell.

Yep, we have plans for a puppy as soon as we have a backyard, but it'll be another year at least. We are hoping to find a rescue who needs a good home and have gotten several recommendations for Petfinder.com. We're excited about it, but we also LOVE our little cat. I expected that Scout would be sort of a placeholder until we could get a dog, but now I can't imagine life without that little guy. He's featured on just about every other blog post, so I'm sure you get the idea, but we love him!

After our walk with Bree, we set out on a run. I was feeling much better, but I also hadn't eaten enough for the day, which killed me on the run. We were supposed to do four miles, and Terry had no problem, but I had to walk about a mile or so. I just didn't have enough calories in me. I came home and gulped down a glass of milk and a spoon of peanut butter to hold me over while I cooked dinner.

Tonight's dinner: a repeat recipe of Greek chicken pitas. Seriously delicious and refreshingly healthy after my weekend in Vegas. 

Tomorrow is another busy day in preparation for my new job (obviously it doesn't start until the new school year in August, but I have lots of paperwork and HR stuff to take care of) and my very last day of cheer practice with "my" girls before I hand them off to the new coach. Then on Thursday I leave for my second blogging conference: the Fitness & Health Bloggers Conference in Denver. I'm sad to leave Terry again so soon, but we have a whole week in Cabo next week to enjoy each other's company! More on that later. For now, I hope you had a great night, and I hope your day is fantastic tomorrow!

Do you have a pet? Link up to a photo so I can gush over their cuteness!!!

:-)

Time to Destress

I've written about how stress has plagued me throughout my childhood and into adulthood. I jokingly blame my father, who passed along his stress to me, but I know there are plenty of ways to decrease, avoid, and deal with stress. So when life gets hectic, I do my best to turn to those techniques to help me relax, sleep better, and relieve tension.

Turns out, I haven't been doing such a great job of all that lately. I knew things were feeling off, but I figured it was just that so much was going on. Among work, after school cheer practices, blogging, exercising, traveling, cooking, spending time with family and friends, and carrying on with life's basic requirements (yes, I consider playing with Scout a requirement), I wasn't finding time to unwind, detox, unload all the pressure. Sure, I was going out with friends and hanging out with Terry, but it was all rushing from one place to the next and completely omitting time for me (aside from exercise, which is one of my favorite "me-time" activities).

And yesterday, it all caught up to me. It was a fairly typical Monday: wake up later than I hope, drive to work, a few discipline issues at school, phone calls to/from students' parents, no time to sit down, drive home in traffic. You know, the usual. But after I got home and checked my computer for 20 minutes or so, my neck and shoulders had completely tightened up. They were knotted into fiery bundles of tension. My neck ached, my head ached, my shoulders and upper back ached.

Stressed, much?

Obviously, I decided working out would be the best idea to relieve the tension. I threw on one of my Bob Harper DVDs, only to realize (16 minutes in) that kettlebell swings probably aren't the best way to relax the neck and shoulders. Man, I'm brilliant. Then we ran two miles, which actually did help. Cardio rocks my world for shaking off the weight on my shoulders.

But my bedtime, everything was aching again. I felt like my shoulders were up at my ears (I actually checked to make sure they weren't). Three Advil and a generous application of IcyHot later, I managed to sleep without too much trouble. Sadly, the aches were all back again this morning and got worse throughout the day. This afternoon, 25 minutes on the treadmill and 30 minutes of yoga worked wonders, but I'll throw on some more IcyHot before bed tonight for good measure.

Looking at my upcoming week, it's a bit daunting to figure out how to decrease my stress level. The end of the school year has me running around all day at school, and I'll get home after six every night this week. But no excuses! Here's the plan:

• Don't be afraid to ask for help. Now's the time to lean on Terry, let him take care of dinner or cleaning. At work, I can delegate or rearrange to give myself small breaks.
• Put off the stuff that can wait. I shouldn't feel guilty if I can't get laundry done until the weekend.

Extra large bottles of Stella are acceptable.

• Breathe. The pile of grading isn't going to get smaller by having a panic attack. 
• Make time for the important stuff. Exercise, healthy food, time with family/friends/spouse/pets.

And Jeopardy! Which featured (Bruin) Kareem Abdul Jabbar tonight - hilarious picture, yeah?

• Sleep. As much as possible. 
• Spend time with this little guy.

 Hope you have a relaxing, stress-free Wednesday!

Too Busy

I'm not sure what it is, but Terry and I are both exhausted tonight. I know it was a long week last week, and I know we were busy yesterday and today, but we're both having trouble keeping our eyes open at 9:45 pm (actually, Terry's asleep on the couch next to me).

So this post shall be short.

Today turned out to be productive, but not in the way I had hoped. I needed to complete a lot of school-related work, and I finished only about a third of it. That's the way things go, I suppose. I also did five loads of laundry (I told you last week was busy!), cleaned our room, blogged about the weekend, and made some goodies. Later in the afternoon, I completed a 2.5-mile jog/walk over to Jenn's apartment to pick up my car, which I left there last night.

Tonight we ventured across the street to our friends' house for one more social dinner. Our friends Rox and Chris (and their son) hosted a delicious meal for Terry, myself, and our other friend Lisa. Lisa brought her dog, Ollie, to play with Rox and Chris's dog, Bree.

Bree

Ollie

Probably best we didn't bring this guy along to play.

Chris and Rox provided a delicious meal, starting with some incredible appetizers that I failed to photograph. Chris made hummus with edamame instead of chickpeas, which was incredible. I'm definitely stealing that recipe! Along with some fresh tuna, grapes, and wine, we were half full before the real meal started.

Dinner was an Asian-inspired one the left us all super satisfied.

(Blurry!) Vegetable stir-fry

Pot stickers and meat

Noodles

Rox's amazing red velvet cupcakes - the best I've ever had!

It was a great night, and I was bummed to cut it short to come home to do the work I failed to do earlier today. Thanks to Rox and Chris for hosting, and to Ollie and Bree for providing entertainment!

This week promises to be ever so slightly less crazy than last week, but barely. I have two late nights at work and one volunteer meeting at UCLA. I honestly haven't planned out when I'll complete my workouts, and we didn't do our usual grocery shopping/menu planning for the week. It's been a little crazy around here.

I actually feel it's been too crazy lately. I like having a full schedule, but I'm pretty beat. "Mental health days" aren't exactly encouraged in the teaching profession, so I've gotta just stick it out for two more months (less, really - our school finishes June 8th this year). As much as I love my job, part of me is really looking forward to summer, because I need to slow down. I feel like I'm so busy keeping up with life that I'm not really living. My body is noticing it too; I've had several stress stomachaches in the last few days. We got to spend time with lots of friends this weekend, which was awesome, but Terry and I haven't had more than a 15-minute conversation all week! Something's gotta give.

Meanwhile, I'm going to get to sleep early tonight to be fresh for my classes tomorrow. We have lots of standardized testing this week, which provides me time to catch up on grading and to get ahead on lesson planning for the remainder of the school year. And then eventually I'll get around to all those things I've been wanting to do that really won't happen until summer, like: 

• reading all my magazines
• assembling and putting up my picture frame collage
• creating our wedding scrapbook and album
• reading about 10 books I've been trying to get to
• cooking boeuf bourguignon a la Julia Child
• trying restaurants we've been meaning to visit
• sitting on the couch
• going on picnics, hikes, and long walks

That list could go on for days. For now, I'll just try to get through one more week, and hopefully my husband and I can sit down to a meal together one night - or at least have a 20 minute conversation. :-)

What do you do to stay on top of your game when things get really busy? 

Do you prefer being busy or more relaxed?

My brother and I are completely different on this one. My brother is the King of Relaxation and could easily spend a day watching television. I, on the other hand, always feel like I need to be doing something. Why can't there just be a happy medium?

FitFluential Ambassador

Do I ever have some exciting news to share with you today! A few weeks ago, I applied to become a FitFluential Ambassador, and I found out this weekend that I got it!!!


FitFluential is a network of fitness experts and amateurs who can connect with each other and with national brands to spread the word about fitness and fitness-related companies. As an Ambassador, I'll have opportunities to partner with brands and potentially influence other fitness enthusiasts (like yourself!). I'm thrilled to be joining this community and can't wait to see what this partnership has in store. Meanwhile, thanks to you for reading and helping me stay inspired to focus on fitness, food, and fun in my blog!

And now for some honesty on the other side of the spectrum: what I do when I'm not feeling so "FitFluential" and am feeling "FitForFlabsville" instead.

Let's get one thing straight: I know I am not overweight. But weight, size, and numbers on a scale (I don't own a scale, actually, and never intend to) are not factors at all in my definition of health. I define health as:

• Feeling good about myself, from my thoughts to my actions to my perception of my body
• Eating real foods with moderation and variety
• Pushing my body to levels of physical fitness that respect my limitations and continuously improve my abilities
• Reducing or eliminating stress as much as possible, including destructive patterns or relationships

This definition is one that will likely evolve over time as I continue to explore what health means to me, and I encourage you to come up with your own working definition, because just thinking about it inspires me to try harder tomorrow tonight to be a healthier person.

So what happens when I'm not feeling good about myself, or when I let the non-real foods slip onto my plate, or when I'm super stressed? Everyone experiences these moments; maybe from a friend's perspective you haven't really changed (in physical appearance or otherwise), but you notice it. Something is just off. You're more tired than usual, or you feel stressed or frustrated. You're out of it.

That's how I've felt the past week or so. While I've been fairly consistent about my workouts, I haven't pushed myself as hard as usual. My dinners haven't been as veggie-focused as they were the first few weeks of the year. As a result, I've noticed my jeans are a little more snug than is comfortable, and I thought it's only fair that I share with you what I do when I get that inevitable feeling of ugh-ness.

1. Figure out what's changed in my own habits. Don't look at the cause of these changes. It doesn't matter. No excuses, remember? Plus, whatever it is will likely still be there, because I can't control everything around me; I'll need to work around it or within it. So I simply ignore whatever is going on outside of me - work, friends, family, time crunch - and I focus on what I'm doing differently. Maybe I've cut back on my workouts in number or intensity or variety. Maybe I've slacked on the vegetables and eaten a few too many desserts. Maybe I've started to stress over something at work. Whatever it is, I've changed something, and I need to understand it in order to reverse it.
   
2. Decide the steps I need to take to kick the bad habits and pump up the good ones. Generally, those fall into these categories:

• Change eating habits. My big rule here is not to reduce the amount of food I'm eating (unless my portions of late have been out of control). Instead, I replace the types of foods. I know I can't deprive myself of eating dessert, but I can change the dessert I eat - fruit and a small piece of chocolate instead of a half pint of Ben & Jerry's. Tea and popcorn instead of brownies.
• Change exercise habits. Get back to 5-6 days per week, minimum of 30 minutes per day. Include a variety of cardio, and tackle different workouts so my body doesn't get used to anything. For me, feeling toned and strong makes me feel healthy, and strength training is a huge part of toning.
• Plan ahead. I usually write out a weekly menu to prepare for our weeknight meals, but it really helps me feel more in control if I have a written plan to get me back on track, including meals and times I'll work out. I also incorporate down time so that I can reduce whatever stressors are building up that week.

Sample plan for tomorrow

3. Acknowledge that some weeks are just this way. And it's fine. Not being a supermodel really has its benefits, because I only have to answer to me (well, and my readers :-). If I'm having an off week, I can get over it, as long as I know how to get back on track. As my cheerleaders once told me, "It's okay if you get fat; your husband still has to love you." Yes, he would love me, but I do what I do because I want to be healthy, not because I feel the need to fit a specific size.

95% of the time, the lifestyle I lead makes me feel good inside and out, but I know there's always room for improvement. I love the challenges of pushing myself to eat better, work out harder, grow in my relationship with God, honor my family and friends, teach more effectively, and become a better person. As I said about my definition of health, it's all a work in progress.

What do you do on those ugh days?

How do you define health?

Lessons from a Master of Sleep

As I mentioned yesterday, I came down with some terrible food poisoning on New Year's Eve - I think. See, now I'm not so sure. Throughout the day yesterday, I experienced a few cold-like symptoms, including but not limited to a sore throat, headache, and body aches. But my stomach was feeling better, and I didn't have a fever, so I assumed it was just a cold. Then, last night, I woke up around two a.m. with more nausea. Awesome, right? So now I have no idea what's wrong, but today's going to be filled with lots of couch time and kitten-cuddling.

And it's killing me.

Those who know me well know that I have a pretty tough time sitting around. I pack 800 things into any given day and absolutely never finish my to-do lists because they're far too ambitious for any human being to accomplish in the time frame I give myself. So, for this glorious week off, I had big plans. A full, legal-pad-sized checklist of plans. Organize closets, clean the bathtub, put away Christmas (all three of our decorations), send off a birthday gift, make a few returns, frame some wedding photos. The list seemed manageable when I wrote it, but now just getting off the couch feels exhausting.

Other inconveniences about being sick: I desperately want to play with Scout, but we're pretty limited in our available activities. Fetch and "catch the string" only go so far. Oh, and it's gorgeous in LA right now! It's supposed to get to 80 degrees today. I want to be outside on a hike or long walk or at least running errands, but alas, I'll just be enjoying the view from my window.

My friend Jenn reminded me that being sick is a good way to remind yourself to slow down. While I found our vacation fairly relaxing and not as rushed as our honeymoon agenda, I can see that my stress level before the trip was too high to come down in just a week. So perhaps another few days of reading, watching TV and movies, cuddling with Scout, and taking it easy will get me back to 100% before school starts again next week.

I'm hoping this little guy...

...can teach me a few of his relaxing techniques.

It's best to find a soft, snuggly blanket.

But really, anything will do.

Bonus if your something snuggly is this guy.

You should try to find a quiet hiding place where you can sleep.

Wear socks if your feet get cold.

And then...just snooze.

Really, just resting without sleep can work too.

But sleep is best.

On a laptop...

...or just on a lap...

...or under a TV.

Try to block out distractions.

And you'll feel better in no time!

(By the way, this montage of Scout sleeping was one of my favorite things I've done in the new year. To be fair, most of the year so far has consisted of finding places to lie down in the fetal position, but still. Isn't he cute?) The only person I know who sleeps as well as Scout is my brother, but he would kill me if I posted pictures of him sleeping on here.

What foods do you eat when you're sick? Terry keeps trying to force me to eat soup, but I only like homemade stuff. So far today I've managed Saltines and a few bites of applesauce. I'm hoping to get some English muffins in me for lunch. Other suggestions?

The rest of the day will be focused on mellow chores and more rest. I'm hoping to at least clean out my sock drawer, do the dishes, sort through about 345 magazines, and continue reading The Help, which I started on vacation and already love!

Stress Post #3: How to Sleep Well

In case you missed it, check out Stress Post #1 (here) and Stress Post #2 (here).

Today's post is inspired by my dad. He's always been great with advice, and a conversation with him yesterday reminded me that I owe a lot of my restful nights to him. I mentioned in my first stress post that I have struggled with anxiety and sleeplessness most of my life. I remember one night being so frustrated with myself that I woke up my dad and asked him to help me.

Falling Asleep
My dad recognized that I just needed to calm down, and I think that is a major issue for many insomniacs or anyone who struggles with sleep. Whether you're stressed about work, anxious about the next day, dealing with relationship issues, or having trouble with something else, calming yourself is sure to help you fall asleep. Here's the trick my dad gave me. It's a little meditation scene that seriously clears your head. I never get to the end because I'm already asleep!

Close your eyes. Imagine a clear, blue sky with one big cloud. Slowly follow the cloud down to a tall oak tree. Zero in on one leaf in that tree. Imagine the leaf starts to fall, and watch it slowly, slowly, slowly drift back and forth, back and forth, back and forth in the air. When the leaf lands, it is in a long, winding river. Follow the leaf as it drifts down the winding river. (I've never actually gotten to the river part!)

The key to this calming scene is to really take in every detail of the scene. Let your mind explore every detail of the cloud, all the lines on the leaf, the gentle breeze blowing the leaf through the air. Your mind is so transfixed on all the details that you can't get preoccupied with whatever was on your mind before.

Staying Asleep
We've all had those nights where we toss and turn or wake up every hour. Here are my tips for staying asleep:

• Calm yourself before you go to bed. Stress and adrenaline keep us awake! So read a (non-Stephen King) book, watch a comforting TV show (Friends, anyone?), take ten deep breaths, or try my leaf meditation. 
• Exercise during the day. If you can do it in the morning, that's ideal, but if you need to work out later, try to do it at least before dinner. That way, your body has time to unwind before bed. Working out gets your body comfortably tired. It's good for you to feel that healthy exhaustion, as long as you get a good sleep to get you ready for the next day.
• Keep the room dark and quiet. My husband is totally going to call me out on this one because I always fall asleep with the TV on, but we have a "sleep" function on our bedroom TV that shuts the TV off within 20 minutes. Having the TV on all night is bound to wake you or keep you awake. Lights also tell your body it's time to wake up.

I sleep so much better now than I did as a child or in college. I hope these tips help you, and if you have more, please comment below!

Thanks, Dad!