Reset

Lately, I've had an irrepressible need to make everything feel cleaner and lighter.  I've been purging all sorts of stuff from around the house and spending time organizing and deleting documents and photos on my computer. I've opened windows to coax the spring air inside and moved heavy winter coats and clothing into storage.  I've brought in more plants to help the air quality in my home, and more flowers to help my mind focus on the coming spring season. 

With all this emphasis on "Clean" and "Light" in my home, I've been forced to take a hard look at the way I'm treating my body, the flesh and bone house that keeps my brain and soul and heart in one physical place. 

Guys....It's not pretty.  

I'm usually pretty good and living a healthy, clean lifestyle, but Holy Wow!  I could do with a little spring cleaning of my own. The past few months have not been easy in so many ways, and the fallout has been in the ways I care for myself.  I've not been eating well; not exercising nearly as much as I require.  I've been going to bed very late then getting up very early.  My days are fueled with caffeine and chemicals (Diet soda, guys.  Nothing more interesting than that, but honestly, that's bad enough.) My stress level is climbing.  I'm both exhausted and wired at all times. 

It's time to hit the reset button. 

I believe in moderation in all things.  I have tried hard core cleanses and crazy intense workouts, and while I love the idea of that kind of dedication and intensity, I know myself and my current lifestyle won't support it. 

So what will my life currently support?  What does "Clean and Light: 2014" look like?  Here's what I'm thinking for now:

• Open windows
• Lots of water (a ridiculous amount lately - I think I've been seriously dehydrated.)
• Plenty of greens and my favorite "whole foods knockoff superfood salad" 
• Fruit, especially citrus
• Sleep.  As much as I can get in. 
• Walking.  Again, as much as I can. 
• Weight training and strength work and lots and lots and lots of yoga.  
• Stronger boundaries- helps limit the drama that feels so heave to me (there's another blog post on this topic soon.) 
• Limit the bad sh*t (I mean that mentally, physically, socially, emotionally, spiritually, etc.  I'm getting rid of as much bad sh*t as I can.) 

It's not rocket science, but this is what works for me.  I'm sure that there will be slip-ups and let downs and days when I'm too tired to do anything but the basics and takeout is inevitable.  But it's a process, a work in progress, and will never be perfect. And that's ok.

Working with what you've got

It's funny how you sometimes solve one problem, and replace it with a new one. 

My old new friends

I seem to have landed myself in just that predicament lately.  I've written a lot here about Miss Yaya's sleep issues, and it seems like we have finally... finally... figured them out.  She's getting between 10 and 12 hours a night, is taking the occasion nap during the day, and seems much happier and healthier now that she is sleeping a normal amount.  Her teachers have reported an improvement in behavior and attitude, and I know that I have a much easier time dealing with her these days.  Plus, because she is getting enough sleep, I am also getting enough sleep and a bit more 'mama' time at night, and I feel leaps and bounds better than I have for a while - more patient, healthier, and definitely more sane. 

The problem this opened up for me is that, in order to get her the sleeping and keep her sleeping, I have had to keep to a very strict schedule.  Basically, we come home in the evenings after work, I make dinner, we eat, she takes a bath, we read stories, and she goes to bed.  That's it.  That's all.  So in the evenings, when I used to go to the gym two or three times a week after dinner....well, that is just not in the cards right now. 

I don't consider exercise to be optional.  It's necessary to me, and I've found that my body does best when I get plenty of it.  Working out keeps me healthy, it keeps me sane, and it is an important part of keeping some genetic risk factors at bay.  Plus, I enjoy it. It's fun for me. But having my schedule disrupted by finally getting Riley on one frustrated me for a few weeks, and I sorta lost my motivation because everything wasn't going how I thought it should. 

It was annoying.
It was lame.
It was frustrating.
And yes, I got sorta whiny about the whole situation.

Then,  I talked to Hannah about it (she is my go-to exercise/healthy lifestyle cheerleader/coach), and she reminded me of what I already knew (but effectively squashed down in my "poor me, I don't get to go to the gym" lame-ness).

You don't whine. 
You don't quit.
You adapt. 
You adapt and survive. 
Then you adapt and thrive. 

So, I'm adapting.  I'm trying to work in a couple of lunchtime runs during the week, and I try to get to work as early as possible so I can leave in time to hit the gym a couple of days during the week.  I can always get a good workout in on Saturdays, and if nothing else, there is my trusty equipment waiting at home for me. 

My medicine ball, my kettle bell, my dumbbells...we are getting reacquainted again.  I started doing push ups and squats and ab work while Riley is taking a bath (just like I used to when she was little).  I have annoyed my neighbors (I'm sure) by jumping rope late at night on my driveway with the window open so I can hear Riley if she wakes up. I've even done the dreaded Jillian Michael's "Shred" a couple of times (She is a phenomena i just don't quite get).

Nope, it's not my preference.  Yep, it feels sorta disjointed and random.  Sure, I wish it were different, and I'm on the lookout for new ways to fit this into my life.  But for now, it is what it is.  I'm adapting.  I'm working with what I've got.

That's all you can do, right?

Domestic Goodness

Little known scientific 'fact': when you spend all spring working on a kitchen update, it triggers some sort of 'domesticity gene' and you end up spending the summer indulging yourself in all sorts of household goodness.

A few of the latest examples:

Jam
Last week, one of my favorite people EVER was in town, and we spent a lovely Saturday morning turning this:

into this:
Hannah taught me the art of making jam, and I gotta say...it's mighty satisfying. We did a couple of batches of low-sugar apricot together and then I tried my hand at raspberry-blackberry later that evening. I was going to put a photo of Hannah from that morning up, but she was not feeling her best *ahem*. So, you can just see me making the second batch of apricot. I can't wait to make more.
DIY cleaning products
This next endeavor started out as a way to try to keep my little girl's sensitive skin away from harsh chemicals. I noticed that every time I cleaned my bathtub, no matter how well I rinsed it, Riley ended up with a bit of skin irritation after she bathed. I did some research on more natural cleaning methods and started cleaning the tubs and sinks using baking soda as a scrub and a vinegar rinse. Worked like magic on my tub, kept my drains very clear, and her skin was much less irritated. So I did some more research and expanded my new ways so much that I basically got rid of all commercial cleaning products and am now using only the items in this photo to clean my entire house.
(the one exception is dishwasher detergent. I'm going to start making my own after I use up what I have left.) I'm even making my own powdered laundry detergent out of borax, washing soda and ivory soap, and I am in love with it. Besides cleaning as well or better than any commercial detergent I've ever used (seriously - it got out the very worst stains easily) my skin is less dry, Riley's skin is not irritated at all, it's really easy to make, and it is super inexpensive. I estimated it to be about 7.5 cents per load (yes, I did the calculations. I'm that big of a numbers geek).

Salvaged Chair (aka glorified dumpster diving)
In my city, they do a neighborhood cleanup times when people put out things to be taken away, recycled, etc. by city workers. I happened to be driving through my neighborhood when I saw a chair that was dirty, yes, but the lines were amazing.

I thought about it all day. I could not understand why anyone would toss that chair when it was so gorgeous.

That night, Hannah and G were at my house, and around midnight, Hannah and I went and 'liberated' the chair. Here it is in all it's dirty glory.

Since then, I've had it professionally cleaned and it made a world of difference. Once I got it home, I realized it was in really solid shape and the fabric pattern is so cool. I'm looking into ways to dye it so I can keep the fabric, but in the meantime, I'm enjoying a cool, retro chair and Ican now say that I'm one of those people who will steal other people's trash.

I'm a homebody at heart, and I'm really enjoying the time I've been spending making my home more comfortable and authentic. I feel like doing these kinds of things are right in line with my values of simple living, cultivating a healthy lifestyle, being mindful of the earth and being thrifty.

This domestic goddess thing...it's a lot of fun! Who knew?