February 13, 2015

Five on Friday: Winter Wellness

Hello, Friday. It sure is good to see you again! This week has been insane and I am happy it is nearing it's end! Today, I am sharing what I do in the mornings to keep me sane during weeks like the one I've just had! To be fair, these are things I try to do, they don't always happen but when they do, it sets me up to have a really productive day. 

1. Get up early. Most days, I set my alarm for 5am and for awhile, I was actually getting up at 5am close to 75% of the time. Lately, it's more like 60% of the time but I am hopeful that it will go back up when things return to a (new) normal at work. Getting up at 5 allows me to take my time getting ready, drink my tea out of a real mug, and let the dog have some extra time out of the crate. I can also make lunches and eat breakfast without feeling rushed. Not being rushed in the morning makes my whole day so much better. 

2. Eat a fruit filled breakfast. The husband and I have been on a huge fruit smoothie for breakfast kick. We have been loving this smoothie (minus the flax seed and tofu) from The Minimalist Baker but I was recently introduced to ALOHA which is a website dedicated to making health fun, simple, and accessible! In a world where being healthy has become conflicting and complicated, ALOHA is here to make it easy for everyone! They have a plethora of smoothie recipes as well as a ton of other healthy recipes. I am thinking this Blueberry Fig Smoothie might be next on our list to try! 

3. Stretch. I no joke tell my husband almost every morning that I need to be stretched. I know that thing that Mel Gibson's wife was strapped to in Braveheart was supposed to be torturous and gruesome and what not but if I could climb on and be given like 1 crank, I think it would feel sooooo good. But alas, I don't live in the 13th century so I don't have access to such a device. Sigh. Instead, I try to do some stretching in the morning to help relieve that tensed up feeling. I loosely follow the stretches below but if I don't get up at 5am not all of these are happening so I just do the ones that stretch the body parts that are feeling the most scrunched up. 

4. Read. I try to squeeze in a few minutes of reading before I head off to work. Again, this only happens if I get up early but it helps me relax before going to deal with a crowd of needy middle schoolers!  I recently finished Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead and it was so, so good. I just love her writing, her characters are so nuanced and real. I highly recommend both Seating Arrangements and Astonish Me. I am currently reading Blood, Bones, and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton. Loving it! Reading something in the morning makes me incredibly happy so I try to make it a priority. I also make sure to read my two favorite emails in the morning: The Skimm and Notes from the Universe before leaving the house! 

There you have it! My morning routine that helps me tackle the day. What do you do in the morning to help ensure you'll have a great one?

Linking up with the ladies! 





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2 comments

  1. Kind of glad we don't have access to that torture devise. A few downdogs work just fine :) Have a great, warm weekend!

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  2. I need to start stretching in the morning since I wake up earlier than I need to anyway lol! xo, Biana - BlovedBoston

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