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I’m thankful for new running shoes! I actually got my new pair of Brooks for Christmas, but just pulled them out this past week, and they felt AMAZING! There’s something fantastic about those first miles in a new pair of shoes that haven’t been too broken down. Plus, my shoes are hot pink- could that be any better?
I’m thankful for inspiring and encouraging conversations with co-workers. I’ve been lucky at my current job, because I’ve always had a few co-workers there that I trust and can have deep, meaningful conversation with. I’m thankful I have a place to not only process my own personal life, but also a place to get valuable information and encouragement through the consultation process. I’m lucky.
I’m thankful for space to breathe and “be” this past weekend. My weeks are packed with so many things to get done, but this weekend, while I was still productive and needed to get things done, still provided time to just be. There was no franticness over the weekend, and I was able to focus on breathing and enjoying the tasks of daily living.
I’m thankful for heat!
What’re you feeling thankful for today?
Our morning routine lays a foundation for the day, and creating a morning routine is incredibly important.
So what makes your morning calm, peaceful, and grounding? Maybe that’s taking time to journal, exercise, or read the Bible/other inspirational book. Maybe it’s investing in sitting down to eat breakfast instead of frantically eating on the way to work (or not even eating breakfast at all!). Or, perhaps, it’s focusing on deep breathing or meditation and drinking a cup of hot water with lemon.
Whatever your calm and peacefulness is in the morning, make it a priority to incorporate it into your life. I know it can be hard for me to give up 15 minutes of sleep for part of my morning routine, but I’m usually a lot more awake, alert, and happy when I get to work if I do. Spend some time reflecting and journaling about what life-giving activities you could add into your morning routine. Be intentional about adding these things into your routine, and watch how it impacts the rest of your day!
Now it’s your turn to share! What do you find life-giving or grounding as you start your day? Is there something you would like to add into your morning routine?
I listened to the audiobook, and while I mostly enjoyed it (I gave it a 4 on goodreads but I wish I could’ve given it a 3.5 or 3.75 instead), I think I might have enjoyed reading it more slowly, in a paper copy book that I could mark up. I love her focus on the little things that we do that can either harm or help us. She came out really strong at the beginning of the book, but then it got a little repetitious towards the end.
Here’s one of the many quotes that I enjoyed from the book, by Iain Thomas: “And every day, the world will drag you by the hand, yelling, “This is important! And this is important! And this is important! You need to worry about this! And this! And this!” And each day, it’s up to you to yank your hand back, put it on your heart and say, ‘No. This is what’s important’.”
What do you need to change in life in order to really thrive?
Ingredients:
- Ham (in the pictures below, I just got 1 pound of deli ham, sliced thickly. Normally my family uses the ham bone from Christmas, uses the ham that falls off the bone in the soup!)
- Bean Mixture (I used dried beans, I just dumped a bunch types into a quart plastic bag (until about 2/3 full). These included the following dried beans: kidney, haricot, pinto, lima (butter), black-eyed, green & yellow lentils, and one other kind I don’t remember.
- Lots of water
- 32 ounces of chicken broth
- 15-20 baby carrots, cut into bite size pieces
- 1/2 an onion
- 1 can of diced tomatoes
- Italian seasoning
- Cayenne Pepper
If you use canned beans instead of dried beans, then there is no need to soak- you can just dump them into the crock pot. Because I used dried beans, I put them in a bowl 24 hours before I wanted to cook them, and covered them with water (plus an additional few inches so they could start to soak the water up).
The mix of dried beans I used. See how much extra room there is in this container? You want that much free space because the beans will grow as they hydrate!
Submerge in a few inches of water
About 6 hours later, I went in to check on them, and added another 2-3 inches of water, as they had soaked up a good amount of the water. I let this sit overnight.
The next day, I put the beans in a large pot with more water and brought to a hard boil, then reduced to about medium heat. I let the beans cook just under 2 hours. You’ll probably need to add more water to the pot as it cooks, so make sure to check in on it occasionally.
During that time, I cut up the ham (if you’re going to use a ham bone, then you’ll obviously through the entire thing in to cook), onion, and carrots, and threw them in the pot, along with the can of tomatoes.
Once the beans were done cooking, I threw them (along with the remaining water that the beans were cooking in) into the pot and added the chicken broth. Like I said, I used a 32 ounce can of broth, then put in another 6-8 ounces of water into that can, swished it around, and dumped that into the crock pot as well.
Finally, I added in the seasonings and stirred everything together. I put the crock pot on high for about 2 hours, and then dropped to low for another 2 hours, and it was complete!
And that’s my family’s ham and bean soup recipe 🙂 It’s how we would ring in the new year as I was growing up, and it’s delicious for the cold winter months and rainy spring months!
Now it’s your turn to share! Do you have a favorite family recipe that you enjoy making today?
I hope you each have a great day filled with love and laughter- and maybe a little running too!
If you aren’t part of Bibrave yet, check out the BibRave website and review all the races you’ve done! Feel free to join us for #bibchat on Tuesdays at 9 est/8 cst .
So today, on this day of love, I’m going to focus on doing lots of activities that I love- biking, maybe a walk, watching TV or a movie, reading, and chatting with lots of friends. Oh- and I’ll probably eat a root beer float cupcake or two as well 🙂
If you’re looking for more posts about “love”, check out these other posts: Things I’m Loving Right Now {winter edition}, Blog Posts I Love, and 10 Healthy Ways to Love Yourself Well.
The pink in the picture is very true to the color in real life.
Nail polish and my tattoo- both things I love!
I thought maybe I would start doing a link to a throwback post from this week in a previous year. My throwback post is from February 11th, 2013: “Loving Yourself On Valentine’s Day“.
Here are some random Friday Facts:
1. I have worn the same outfit to work on Valentine’s day for the past few years. As I won’t be working tomorrow, I am wearing the outfit today:
Yup- hot pink pants and a black shirt with gray hearts. I love it, so why mess with it 🙂
2. These two things have been happening over the past week and a half:
Tetanus and Typhoid Vaccines!
Doesn’t everyone LOVE getting tetanus shots? My arm was sore for 6 days, but it’s obviously SO much better than actually getting tetanus, so I’ll take it. I’m just glad I don’t have to get another one for 10 years!
3. I’ve been keeping my house set at 60-62 degrees this winter, and I’m totally ok with it. I’m not awake and at home many hours during the week, so I figure it would be silly to waste the money to heat it much more than that. I’ve fallen even more in love with blankets this year as a result!
4. I’ve been eating lots of frosting with graham crackers. Does anyone else love this combination?? Growing up my mom would make extra frosting when she made it (I’m not sure we ever bought frosting… I think my mom always made it) so we could eat it on graham crackers. I also remember my elementary school serving it as a dessert with “hot lunch”. Delicious!
5. I’m finally getting around to reading “Eat, Pray, Love”. I watched the movie when it came out a few years ago, but never made the time to actually read the book. It’s certainly interesting to read about her experiences!
Now it’s your turn to share! Tell me a random fact from your week! Frosting on Graham Crackers- yay or nay? Do you have a favorite Valentine’s Day outfit?
Happy Thursday! I’m definitely missing my Thursdays off that I had in January, so I’m adjusting back to working Thursdays, but that’s just fine! Here’s what I’m thankful for right now:
I’m thankful for a weekend warm up. Saturday was bright, sunny, and in the 40s. Sunday was almost in the 40s, but not as sunny. Either way, I’ll absolutely take it! I loved feeling the warmth of the sun on my face as I walked outside, and I loved the sun pouring through my windows!
I’m thankful for the ability to see the grass throughout the winter. Last year we got snow the 2nd week of January, and I didn’t see grass again until mid-March. This year, while we’ve had snow (I think in the past week and half we’ve gotten 8-9 inches total), we’ve had enough warm days that have melted the snow completely as well. This feels hopeful, I think, so I’m thankful for it!
I’m thankful for the chai tea latte mix I found. I really really love Starbucks Chai Tea Lattes, but I don’t love the price tag that comes with it! I add this mix into water and put a little spice on top, and it almost tastes like the real thing! YUM!
I’m thankful for a warm winter coat. This is something that, again, is so easy to take for granted, but it hugely important on cold days. I’m thankful I have a coat to use whenever I need it.
I’m thankful for rest. My life is really hectic right now, so I’m trying to focus on making the times I do have to rest really quality (quality over quantity, right?). I’m thankful for the little moments I have here and there throughout the day to rest and to be.
Now it’s your turn to share! What’re you feeling thankful for today?
1. I’m loving these Root Beer Float cupcakes! I made them a few weeks ago, and they are delicious! I usually make a good sized batch, as they freeze really well, and are delicious! That way I can just randomly have a homemade cupcake whenever I want:)
2. These heart-shaped gingerbread cookies! I’ve made them the past couple years, and they’re delicious!
3. Heart-shaped candies! I’ve been a fan as long as I can remember, and this year I snatched a bag up as soon as they went on sale. YUM!
4. OPI’s Lincoln Park After Dark, Essie’s Midnight Cami, and Essie’s Smokin Hot Nail Polishes. These have been my favorite colors this winter!
5. Grape flavored nuun. I didn’t try it until this fall, and I absolutely love the flavor! I’ve been drinking it a lot on my longer bike trainer rides.
6. Candles! I mean, candles are great no matter what time of year it is, but I especially love lighting candles after a long day of work when it’s cold outside! It adds immediate warmth and coziness to any room.
7. Chamomile Honey flavored tea from Ecuador! I’ve been drinking this tea frequently over the past few weeks, and it’s delicious!
8. 1/4 zip exercise pull overs with thumb holes. My parents got on a kick with them the past few months, and I ended up getting a few of them for Christmas. I’ve worn them most weekends (and some days after work… if I don’t come home and immediately put on pjs), and they are fantastic! Thumb holes were a fantastic invention!
9. My new hipster cat scarf. I mean, come on- isn’t it adorable?!
10. Coconut flavored La Croix water! YUMMMM.
11. Caribbean Jerk beef with noodles! The warmth of the food, along with the heat from the spice, makes it an ideal meal on colder days. It’s actually my dinner tonight!
12. My “One Line A Day” Journal. I used to be an avid journaler, but once I became a counselor that fell by the wayside. I also love the Timehop app, which shows anything you’ve posted on social media sites on that day in previous years. So, when I found the one line a day journal, I immediately put it on my Christmas list, and I’ve been loving it so far. It has 5 years in it, so I think I’ll enjoy getting to see what I did in previous years 🙂 (One line a day is a little deceptive, because there are actually 5-6 lines for the day)
(I’m actually drinking the tea from Ecuador in this picture too!)
13. Red Velvet Oreos- need I say more? Oreo has seriously won over my heart since the fall with all their new flavors!
14. Parks and Rec! I’ve wanted to watch this show since it first started airing, but for one reason or another it just never happened. I’ve finally sat down to make my way through the show. I’m on season 3 and loving it so far!
15. Homemade Chai tea lattes! I bought this liquid chai mix at the grocery store. I mix 1 part mix to 1 part almond milk (heated and then frothed) and put a little all spice on top, and it’s delicious (and so much cheaper than Starbucks!). They’ve been a go-to this winter.
So those are a few of the things that I’m loving right now. For more “love week” posts, see the following: 10 Ways To Love Yourself and Blog Posts I’m Loving.
Now it’s your turn to share! What is one product that you are loving right now?
This week I’m featuring all sorts of things around the topic of “Love” since it’s the week leading up to Valentine’s Day. Yesterday I posted about 10 Healthy Ways To Love Yourself Well. If you missed it, make sure to go and check it out!
Today I thought I’d do a post on some of my previous posts I’ve written that I really love. I have lots of new readers, so most of these would’ve been posted before they came along (and a lot of them were posted on my old blog, Fighting For Wellness, before I turned it into the self-hosted blog it is today!).
Race Recaps I Love
- Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon 2014 (I teared up writing this one!)
- Indianapolis Mini Marathon 2012– my first half marathon!
- Danskin Sprint Triathlon– my first triathlon!
- Carmel Half Marathon
- Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago: The Unplanned Race (where I accidentally ran a half marathon)
Random Exercise Posts I Love
- Biking To Mackinac Island
- Take Me Home, Country Roads
- Meeting My Running Idol (this was SO exciting!)
- Journey To Running- Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3
Mental Health Posts I Love
- Owning Our Reactions
- Be Happy Where You Are
- Thought Record & Reframing Negative Thoughts
- Acknowledging Our Hurt
- 5 Healthy Habits That Can Change Your Life
POTS Posts I Love
- 30 Things You May Not Know About My Life With POTS
- 10 Years With POTS
- 5 Things I Wish People Understood About Having A Chronic Illness
- “But You Don’t Look Sick…”
- Dear Parent of Someone Diagnosed with POTS (or other Chronic Illness)
Travel Posts I Love
- Walking The Final Mile of the Boston Marathon Route
- The Survivor Tree (NYC)
- Mackinac Island
- My Favorite Spring Break (Dominican Republic)
- Piedra de Agua (Ecuador)
- Dos Chorreras (Ecuador)
Random Posts I Love
- Even So, It Is Well (the story behind my tattoo!)
- Freedom From Stuff- Part 1 and Part 2
- Letters From War
- Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
- Peace
Now it’s your turn to share! What’s one or two of your favorite blog posts you’ve written? Link-up in the comments so I can read them! 🙂
That’s the thing- loving yourself is SO important, yet we often push that aside in the pursuit of loving others. The love and care that we are even able to give others comes out of the love and care that we ourselves have, and that’s why it’s critical to make sure that we each our loving ourselves well. This is certainly an underlying theme that plays out most hours of my day as a counselor, and I only become more and more convinced every year that we learn to love ourselves well so that we can love others well too.
But what does “loving yourself” even mean? Loving yourself means ALL sorts of things, including:
1. Maintaining ownership of appropriate areas of your life, while not trying to take ownership of others’ property. This means that I own my own thoughts, feelings, and actions. I don’t try to make someone else responsible for how I feel or act, and I don’t try to take responsibility for how another person thinks, feels, or behave. This is about developing boundaries in our life.
2. It means learning how to cope in healthy ways when I face something distressing. Just as a parent soothes a child, we learn to self-soothe as we mature into adults.
3. It means learning to be mindful of your present experiences so that you don’t miss important cues which might explode into something much bigger later (i.e. increasing stress that leads to a panic attack or something that’s bothering you with a friend that you don’t bring up, which creates a much bigger problem in the relationship)
4. Learning to give back to yourself in big and small ways- financially, relationally, mentally, emotionally, etc… This might mean investing an hour in getting a massage, creating a savings account so that you aren’t as stressed in tight times, or exercising (these are just a few of the MANY many things you can do).
5. It means that you work hard on healing old wounds and making yourself into the healthiest person that you can be. Loving yourself well might mean that you commit to regularly counseling.
6. Embracing the fact that “what other people think of me is none of my business”. I can focus on being responsible for myself in the best ways I know how. What others think of me in the process isn’t what I need to be concerned about.
7. Recognizing and replacing the cognitive distortions that we use (such as all-or-nothing thinking and catastrophizing). These distortions not only add a lot of stress and anxiety to our lives and relationships, but they serve to tear us down.
8. It might mean that you need to work on forgiving yourself for past mistakes, learning instead how to learn from mistakes while extending grace to yourself.
9. It might mean creating space from toxic and unhealthy people in our lives. We receive a lot of unhealthy messages from people in our life, and we often unintentionally take those comments and incorporate that into our inner monologue. Surrounding yourself with safe people is a way of loving yourself.
10. It means acknowledging our hurt instead of burying it away. We live out of our hurts, so it’s important we process those hurts so that we don’t hurt others because of our hurt.
Now obviously there are plenty more ways to love yourself than what I listed above, but these are all great places to start. The fact of the matter is that you need to love yourself well in order to be healthy, happy, and to have healthy and loving relationships with others, so it’s worth the time, effort, and energy!
Through this week leading up to Valentine’s Day, I challenge you to do a little self-assessment. Check-in and see how you are loving yourself well, and what areas in your life might need improvement. Commit to improving one area of your life that might change how you love yourself!
Now it’s your turn to share! What’s one way that you choose to love yourself well? Is there an area you’d like to work on in your pursuit of loving yourself well?
