Cold Temps = Sun Searching

It's finally begun to feel like winter here on the East Coast and I'm not sure how I feel about it... We're all so grateful that it hasn't been like it was last year. So I just continue to remind myself about last year's 'Winter that Never Ended'... November through March of snow, ice and freezing temperatures. It was miserable.
So hooray! It's January and it's just starting to get cold!
But now that it's cold Ryan and I have been desperately scrambling to find a quick weekend getaway to somewhere warm. Not the best planning on our part.

I guess we could just crank up the heat in our apartment and drink tropical drinks... But you know, it's just not the same as laying by a pool with the sun shining...

Thanks for reading,

Happy and Healthy New Year

So far Ryan and I have been doing really well with our New Year's Resolutions and Goals. We've both been committed to eating healthier, working out more and keeping our apartment nice and clean. I'm still working my way through parts of the apartment and donating things we never use. It's going very well! I know, I know, it's only the first week...

But we're very happy and proud of ourselves!

I've been really getting back into doing Tone It Up and Pure Barre videos as well as classes at the gym. Even if I don't have a lot of time a 15 minute Tone It Up video works the whole body. I'm loving it!

Running seems to have taken a backseat, and it's kind of nice to focus on something different.

Thanks for reading,

More Sleep = Happiness

Oh sleep, I love you so... I miss you most of the time. Monday through Friday we play this game where you are just out of reach... Those full undisturbed 8 or 9 hours I would love to have. That just don't happen.
I've begun reading up on sleep since it's one of my favorite things. It really doesn't take much to make me happy. 

Here's some motivation to get MORE sleep:

• You'll make smarter choices. Not getting enough sleep makes it harder for you to make decisions and you lose self-control. I notice that if I'm super tired I eat way too much food and a lot of it isn't healthy. Candy and more coffee are the usual suspects and that just messes my sleep cycle up for that night.
• You'll have a better memory. Not enough sleep = horrible memory. This is the first thing to go with me. Two weeks ago I was so busy and over-tired that I took the subway the wrong way twice... I've lived and worked in New York City enough to know where I'm going... I just wasn't paying attention and I was super tired. Getting the sleep you need helps memories stay in your mind.
• You'll be nicer. If you get the hours of sleep you need you'll be able to handle stressful situations better and react better than on little sleep. No one likes someone who gets angry quickly and snaps at everyone around them. And I highly doubt no one likes being a mean person. 

Now. How do we get more sleep?? 

Don't drink anything caffeinated after 2:30pm!

Make a bedtime and stick to it! My 'bedtime' is 9:30pm. When I see the clock hit 9:30pm I am in bed. I read a little bit and try to turn off the light at 10pm at the latest.

I also spray our sheets and pillows with a nice lavender spray to help us relax and unwind.

If I really need sleep I'll make sleepy-time tea. It's delicious and the process of drinking hot tea helps me to slow down and get ready to dream.

What are your nighttime rituals to get more sleep?

Thanks for reading,

Our New Year's Celebration

 This year our New Year's Eve was very low key. 

And guess what, we had a wonderful time!!! We cooked our second Blue Apron meal - rib eye steak with potato and mushroom hash (delicious!!!), watched some TV and just relaxed.

It was so nice not to get all dressed up, go into the City, deal with crowds of people and pay for an overpriced dinner.

 

Ryan created a delicious cheese and cracker spread for us before dinner.

Bailey was ready for bed at around 10pm... per her usual...

 

But we did get her to take a family photo with us... kind of!

I hope you all had an amazing New Year and you're keeping your Resolutions!!

Thanks for reading,