I've been burning the candle from both ends lately. For awhile, I could do it, but after the stress of many things compounded with unexpectedly hosting in-laws for a week, I hit the wall. I couldn't get enough sleep because they were up all hours. I couldn't work out, which added to the exhaustion and crankiness. I have had to eat out for about 2 weeks straight, which I actually hate. Many of the small things that were stable in my day-to-day were changed. While not everything that changed was bad and several were long-term good things, the temporary was a lot of added stress.
This past week, I was no longer able to juggle everything. I would finish work, head to the next restaurant, come home and crash on the couch until hubby dragged me to the bed. I would wake up feeling wiped and do it all over again. I slept late this morning, and I'm trying to be more cautious about what I do this weekend so I can recuperate. Blogging may make a slow return to my life. I want it to always be enjoyable and fun, so if it would be just another item on the to do list, I won't post that night. I know that many of the stresses are going to improve with time, so I can go slow until then.
I want to reassure everyone out there who hasn't given up on reading me that I will still be posting and reading as time allows. I still care very much about all of you. And I think it's also important to reassure all of you that there were no major tragedies in my life, nothing disastrous happened, my life, marriage, and outlook on life is still a very happy and upbeat one. I just test my limits sometimes and have to re-balance my priorities.
So here are the not too exciting highlights for you (besides what I mentioned above):
I am almost through the hair detox and onto the other side now. I had no idea how frustrated and moody I could be by having continually gross and oily-looking hair. I would wash and blowdry my hair only for it to look like I was channeling Alanis Morissette in the 90s. When you have to look professional everyday, that is a big aggravation indeed. Thankfully, I had one good hair day a couple days ago. I am hopeful that with one more shock treatment, it will be ready for a normal routine with the toxin-free shampoo. I have a post planned with more on this.
I am trying to tackle a few things that are important to me just a little bit at a time. I am being more conscious about my stress levels and not letting myself sweat stuff that isn't vitally important.
I realized that when I bring my lunch to work (aka no business lunch), I am almost always "raw until dinner." I really feel good and I L-O-V-E LOVE my breakfast smoothie. It is so calming to my tummy and so filling. Plus it is super healthy and makes me happy.
I also realized that I am probably dairy sensitive and am contemplating vegan as a result. The week leading up to our hosting duties, I really did not have any dairy, which kind of cleansed my body of the effects. Once we hosted and were eating out for every meal but breakfast, I had a meal with cheese for dinner. The next morning I woke up with a bad bloaty tummy ache. A light bulb went off for me at that moment. I used to wake up with that feeling FREQUENTLY, but I never knew why. I never even considered that it could be dairy. Maybe it was fiber, or getting too hungry during the night, or having something too rich and fatty, but I NEVER considered dairy because I was raised on it my entire life. I thought my brother was a little loony for believing he magically turned lactose intolerant at 30. Not being used to ordering without cheese yet, I had another couple meals with dairy ingredients over the past couple weeks. I noticed a correlation between those meals and tummy aches the next morning. So I think I'm onto something important here.
Irish found very thin-soled New Balance shoes for me to start using as I transition into barefoot walking then running. If I stick with it, then I'll probably get some of the specialized shoes to use. On a sadder note, the trash to treasure treadmill was a dud. There was a broken part on it that is no longer made. Oh well. We may consider buying a treadmill or elliptical after awhile.
This morning was so peaceful and relaxing that I savored every second I could get. We slept with the window open and the ceiling fan going because there was a cool breeze. We woke up to a light rain early this morning. None of the screaming neighbor kids were fighting outside, so we just heard the rain, the breeze, and the birds. It reminded me of an anniversary weekend we spent at a B&B on the lake. It was so peaceful and amazing that it felt sacred.
What's the best thing that's happened to you lately? For any of you with a treadmill or elliptical, what's your preference and why? When you notice you're off balance, what do you do to realign your life?
Oh yes, I almost forgot! Averie has a necklace giveaway, and Katie has a shopping spree giveaway!
