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Weekend Reading – February 17th, 2018

Happy Sunday! After a long week of travel, I’m happy to be back in Brooklyn with Bo and Katie. So far we’ve spent the weekend doing some things around the house, catching up with friends and enjoying lots of cuddles with Katie. She is doing her best to army crawl everywhere possible so life has quickly taken on a faster pace. Today we’re heading into the city for brunch with friends and then tomorrow, Bo and I are enjoying a day date since Katie’s nanny share family doesn’t have the day off for President’s Day. Our plans include going to Aire Ancient Baths, a leisurely lunch and then going to the movie theater for the first time since Katie was born!

This week, instead of Friday Favorites, I’m sharing some weekend reading which includes recipes, articles, posts and other things that caught my eye this week.

  • I’m trying to incorporate more strength training into my weekly workout routine and this 20 minute Metabolism Boosting PopSugar video was the perfect thing to kick-start my motivation! I was dripping sweat by the end of the video, loved the intense but short routine, and I only needed a yoga mat and a set of 10-pound weights.
  • After seeing Little Fires Everywhere on many different lists I finally bought it a few weeks ago. I finished it in just a few days, as the characters hooked me immediately. The author did a wonderful job developing each of the characters and inter-twining the story lines as she shared the tale of the Richardson Family of Shaker Heights, and the people who came into their lives and changed everything they knew.
  • It’s been a month since I upgraded my moisturizer to Beautycounter Adaptive Moisture Lotion. Even during a week of three flights and far too little sleep, this was able to keep my skin hydrated all day long without looking greasy or causing any breakouts.
  • I finally started meditating last month and it was a game changer especially in January when I was dealing with some minor insomnia. While there are many different apps that you can use, I liked that Headspace’s offers a complimentary Basics 10 session pack. You can even change the duration of each session – 3 minutes, 5 minutes or 10 minutes. For the first few days I did 3 minutes before going to bed but by the 10th day, I was meditating for 10 minutes.
  • I heard about this New York Times article from no less than ten friends and family members the day it was published. The tiny Vermont town of Norwich has produced 11 Olympians and it isn’t due to their state-of-the-art training facilities or level of rigor. Instead, most parents stress enjoyment and participation over expertise and have created a  supportive community instead of a competitive atmosphere.
  • After the horribly tragic event that took place in Florida this week, I have to share this article which discusses the changes Australia enacted following a mass shooting in the 1990s. Regardless of political affiliation, everyone I’ve spoken with since the shooting agrees that something has to change. Whether the number is 6 or 18, the startling and scary statistic regarding the number of school shootings that have occurred this year alone is shocking and unnerving.
  • Three months later, these high rise jeans are still my favorite and I recently ordered a second pair in a different wash and am keeping my eye out for a white pair to wear this Spring and Summer.
  • Speaking of Summer, I just ordered a new cover-up and swimsuit after falling head over heels for Lilly Pulitzer’s vibrant prints and flattering designs!  When I went through my closet and dresser last month, I parted ways with most of my beach attire since it was either faded or didn’t fit anymore. While I refuse to buy more than I need, I’m hoping to find two cover-ups and two swimsuits for the Summer! Any recommendations for mom-friendly swimsuits? So far a number of my friends have recommended Athleta.  
  • A few weeks ago, one of my co-workers recommended that I give Apple AirPods a try as they are great for the hours of conference calls I have as well as listening to music, books, or podcasts on-the-go. After a week of using them, I can’t figure out why I waited so long! I love that they synch easily with any device, turn off when I take them out of my ear and have a convenient carrying case that doubles as a charging device. The sound quality is surprisingly good and they are snug enough to use for HIIT workouts. I will most likely not use them for workouts regularly as I fear that my excessive sweat would ruin them. The battery life is around five hours but I haven’t had an issue since anytime I have them in their case they are charging.
  • For years, going to the grocery store each week has been one of my favorite activities. I love discovering new items, exploring the shelves and finding the perfect produce. But, since Katie was born this has become more challenging and that combined with the winter weather, lack of car and work travel, going to the grocery store has become an arduous chore. We joined Instacart Express using one of their new member codes (click link for your own code) and were amazed at how easy it is. We have access to ten different stores (Whole Foods, Fairway, Key Food, Green Grape, Costco, etc) locally and the groceries are delivered within 2-3 hours even on a busy day like Saturday. I’ve been checking and so far it seems like most groceries are the same price they would be in store. Have you tried Instacart? Do you use another delivery service? 

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored and instead is a list of the things of my favorite things this week. As normal, it includes lots of beauty and fashion items which means there are a few affiliate links via ShopStyle. It takes time and money to maintain a blog so I thank you for the support and few cents that come from clicking through the links!

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Eight Changes I’ve Made to Get A Better Night’s Sleep

Last week I shared with a number of you that I was having a rough time sleeping. It took hours instead of minutes to fall asleep, I wasn’t sleeping soundly and my mind was racing throughout the night.

There is no way that I can balance the challenges of managing my many roles – mom, wife, team leader, friend, daughter, sister and blogger without getting sleep. Especially now that Katie is sleeping through the night and doesn’t need me for those midnight cuddles and feeding sessions. I swear there were special endorphins that powered me through those months of sleep deprivation.

After three nights of bad sleep and venting to friends on Instagram, I took your advice and made some changes that have miraculously led to four straight nights of solid sleep. In fact, I’ve slept more than nine hours each night since making these changes! While none of these are necessarily revolutionary ideas, I wanted to share them here as reminders and support for anyone else who may be struggling to get quality sleep.

  • Decrease caffeine and increase water. This one was a bit of a no-brainer but still one that I’m having to remind myself to do each day. Instead of drinking multiple cups of coffee per day, I’m down to 1.5 – 2 cups in the morning and then I sip on water or decaf tea during the day. As the stress of jury duty and work were mounting, I found myself reaching for that late afternoon coffee which was certainly not helping my sleep.
  • Take a shower or bath.  Most days, I shower in the morning but, I’ve found that after stressful days it is very helpful to take a shower or bath. Even if the shower is a quick one, I find that the steam and water helps calm my mind and relax my body. I’m not doing this every night but I definitely enjoyed one this evening after an extra-long work day.
  • Aromatherapy. As part of my evening ritual, I am lighting a calming candle, massaging my hands and feet with hydrating lotion and spraying this lavender and chamomile infused spray on our pillow and sheets.
  • Dress for the temperature. I realized that while my flannel pajamas were cozy, they were making me sweat since our temperatures have recently increased in New York and are no longer dipping down in the single digits. These soft pajamas are just the right weight for the transitional weather we are having and feel like silk against my skin even though they are a modal blend. I just ordered a second pair since I’ve been wearing them non-stop the past few days. As an FYI, they run large so I actually ordered a medium which is smaller than my normal pajama size.
  • Sip tea. Who knows whether it is a placebo, calming ritual or the ingredients actually work but I’ve reintroduced Lipton’s Bedtime Bliss into my routine the past few nights and am really enjoying it. Tonight, I’m sipping it while I type this post but this weekend I brought it upstairs and sipped it while reading.
  • Turn on Night Shift  I have scheduled my phone to shift the colors of my phone display, using the Night Shift mode each night from sunset to sunrise to ensure that when I’m using my phone before bedtime, it isn’t getting in the way of my sleep. If you’re wondering how the phone screen can get in the way of your sleep, here are a few tidbits I found online regarding the impact phone screens can have on our brain and sleep.

    Almost all gadgets with a display give off blue light, and while it’s perfectly healthy to absorb as much as you like during the day, it’s not something you want to take in at night. Using phones and tablets close to bedtime can make falling and staying asleep more difficult.

    That’s because blue light tricks our circadian rhythm, or natural body clock, into thinking that it’s daytime. It also boosts attention and reaction times, and interferes with our bodies’ production of melatonin, the hormone that induces sleep, making it difficult to nod off.

    It’s not just your sleep that suffers, either; multiple studies have linked exposure to blue light and disrupted circadian rhythms to heart disease, diabetes, obesity and even cancer. Harvard researchers were able to increase blood sugar levels and lower the level of leptin, a hormone that causes people to feel full after a meal, in 10 people simply by changing their circadian rhythms.

  • Read. I’ve made it a goal to read at least five pages every night before going to bed.  I love reading but sometimes tend to get intimidated and even stressed out by the number of books on my bedside table or “To Read” list. By carving out this nightly time, I’m making more progress in my books and often find myself reading for 20-30 minutes instead of five.
  • Meditate When I’ve finished reading and am ready to go to sleep, I open the Headspace app and enjoy 3 minutes of guided meditation. As I type that, it seems ridiculous to see that I only meditate three minutes but as a new mediator, I made it my goal to do 3 minutes for 10 consistent days before increasing the time. It’s amazing what listening to the narrators soothing voice can do in such a short period of time. As I assess my body and relax my limbs, jaw and focus on the sounds around me I can feel the stress leave my body.  The app is free to use thus far and I have been recommending it to anyone who will listen. Never meditated? Don’t get the hype? Download the app and try it for yourself!

Your Turn – What are your tricks for improving sleep? 

Photo credit Michelle Rose Photography

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