Pencil in some YOU Time!

Today I was feeling overwhelmed:

  I have work to do.  I have bags to pack.  I have outfits (for rehearsal/wedding) to plan for this weekend.  I have food to prepare.  I have a(n adorable) dog to walk.  I have toilets to clean.  I have laundry to do.  I have presents to wrap.  I have e-mails to write.  I have friends to call back.  I have trips to plan.  I have a basement to unclutter. 

I could go on... but that wouldn't be fair to waste your time any more than I already have!

It seems we always have a long list of things to do.  We check things off one by one, but then more gets added on to the bottom so we never get to wipe the slate clean.  I have a tendency to physically not sit down until I have achieved as much as possible in my day.  Often times at the end of a day off when I sit down to dinner I realize that other than sitting in the car, it's the first time I have been off my feet all day.

I have learned (with some gentle encouragement from my husband) that sometimes I need to force myself to take some Me Time.  Me Time is sitting on the couch.  Reading a book.  Going to Starbucks (he he... just kidding!  Matt would NEVER recommend that!) Not checking e-mail.  Not working on a mosaic.  Not preparing dinner.  Not washing dishes.  Not doing laundry.  Literally being unproductive.

What I have come to realize is that Me Time isn't about me at all!  It actually refreshes everything inside of me to be more helpful to others.  It helps me to be a better friend.  I can listen better with an uncluttered mind.  It helps me to be a better wife.  I'm less frazzled and can focus on the moment and be more supportive.

So today- I encourage you to go turn your cell phone ringer off 

and put your feet up and make some YOU TIME!

p.s. I bet you're wondering what's with the photo!  Well,... you can't have a post without a photo!  (boring!) 

And I wanted to show you why I need Me Time.  It's to try and be a better KeRRi for my favorite boys.

Guest in the house!

Guest blog time! Hi, I'm Megan, Kerri's sister-in-law! Kerri asked me to blog about a new piece of workout gear that I've fallen in love with, so here goes!

My favorite routine at the gym is a 45 minute spinning class followed by an hour of Zumba. As you may imagine, this results in a great deal of what I like to call "raining." Sounds a little classier than "sweating to death." A few months ago I had purchased a weird, huge headband that, if it starts to slide down, starts to look somewhat bank robber-ish... it does its job but it does not do it attractively.

I started searching for cute sweatbands and quickly found Sweatybands... I initially wrote them off because those types of skinny headbands all pop off my big Irish head almost immediately (even when secured with clips.) But then I saw "OMG... they don't slip!" in big letters on the website and started reading the testimonials on the site. The underside of the band is made of velvet which helps grip your hair (and absorb "rain") and there's a small strip of elastic so they fit snugly. There are dozens and dozens of pretty styles to choose from, as well! I picked out a cute black and white polka dot one and a pretty purple design and I just love them! I tested them out on a few walks and then it was time for the head-bobbing, hair-whipping spinning/zumba combo. You guys, it didn't budge! It was awesome! It did a really nice job of absorbing most of the sweat and channeling any excess to the back of my head... nothing is more annoying than drips running down your forehead!

Here are some pictures that my dog Pepper snuck into, I just have no idea how that happened! Oh, another benefit of the Sweatybands is that because they are pretty tight, they sort of give you that 60's hair bump without any of the teasing or hairspray. All I did was vortex (which Kerri and Lina should be blogging about very soon!) and then take a nap... Sweatybands can do it all!!!!

A very special thanks to Megan for being our guest! I don't mean to brag or anything... but she's kind of a big deal: http://megandailor.com/

Juice Cleanse

Last week I did a 3 day juice cleanse, which involved 6 juices per day (they're numbered and you have to drink them in order) and no eating.  They are fresh-pressed juices of mostly vegetables, some juice, and one nut milk per day.  Some are awesome such as grapefruit mint (see above, it's the second one) and watermelon lime.  Some are not so awesome, like the essential green (kale, spinach, celery, etc).

Let me answer some questions you might be thinking.

• No, you don't feel hungry.  You're constantly drinking throughout the day.  You may feel a mild hunger ache. 

• Yes, you miss food.  But not because you're hungry.  It's more psychological (more on that later). 

• You do lose weight. Mostly water weight (but who cares! I'll take it!)- by the end I was down 5.5 lbs which made me 1.5 lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight. (holla!!)

Overall, it was a great experience.  Here are some take-aways I had from my juice fast.

1. Food is a privilege.  We live in a country where access to food is not a problem.  We can have fruit in the winter for goodness sakes (if you don't mind that it's getting shipped from Chile).  We are remarkably blessed to buy or make whatever food we want. It is not meant to be abused.
2. I'm no longer as afraid of hunger as I once was.  I'm the kind of person that starts to panic when I get hungry. (like I'll eat before church service or a movie even when I'm not hungry just so that I won't be stuck in a seat for a couple hours and not able to eat. I know- I'm ridiculous).
3. I eat waaaay more than I need.  Sustaining myself on juices all day and have great energy levels was proof that I eat more than I need to survive.  I need to scale back the sheer amount that I consume- it'll be better for my budget and waistline.
4. Last but not least.... I'VE GOT TO STOP PUTTING CRAP IN MY BODY.  I have to repeat my new mantra to myself.  "Ramen noodles are not my friend.  Ramen noodles are not my friend".  Only allowing nutritious juices for 3 days straight made me feel so good.  I felt better. I have a renewed commitment to nourishing my body and taking better care of it. 

I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a jump-start to eating better.  Don't wait for New Year's.  I'm probably going to do this twice a year, before summer starts and after the holidays, just to keep things in check.

I'm almost tempted to buy a juicer now but I don't know if that's consistent with my anti-too-many-kitchen-appliances-lifestyle. I'll have to think more about it.

(this post is dedicated to Melissa who thought it would take too long for Kerri to get another turn. :P )