The Luxury of Sleep

It's pretty much a fact of life for most folks these days.  We just don't get enough sleep.  Sleep becomes more of a luxury than stability.  My problem is undoubtedly related to many factors.  I can't turn my brain off at bedtime.  I'm stressed.  I'm addicted to my electronic devices.  I sleep with a partner who snores, etc., etc., etc.  Plus, I'm just a naturally light sleeper anyways.  As we all know, good sleep is vital to a healthy life.  It's not just rest time.  It's time that your body needs to do a lot of essential work to keep us emotionally and physically well-balanced.  Good sleep also means that our energy levels can be up where we need them to be, so that we can do what we need to get done and lead successful, fulfilling lives.  I decided to do a little research to find out how I might get a better night's sleep and found this book at my local library, "Sound Asleep, The Expert Guide to Sleeping Well" by Chris Idzikowski.  Here are the main keys that I discovered could possibly help me get the rest I need:

• The optimum temperature for sleep is 64.5 degrees.  Good to know!  I've been sleeping with the house at 68 degrees.  What can I say?  I get cold.
• Do not eat for at least 3 hours before bedtime.  I seriously doubt that most people abide by this tip, but I can see how it would be beneficial.  Digestion and frequent trips to the bathroom can keep you up at night.  Note to self:  limit my nighttime snacking.
• Don't drink alcohol.  Truth be told, I'm not a very big drinker, so this is an easy one for me.  While a drink before bedtime can put you right out, alcohol has the tendency to wake you up before you are really ready to wake up.  No bueno.
• Get some exercise.  A good cardio session can help your body work out the tension it inevitably holds onto during the day, which can make for a much more relaxing night.  And since it can be hard to fit in an actual workout during your busy day, housecleaning counts as exercise, too!
• Get rid of your electronics at least an hour before bedtime.  This is a tough one considering that we live in an age of technology.  I don't feel comfortable leaving my phone too far away.  We don't have a landline, so I know that if there is an emergency, I will have to be able to hear my phone.  Using the airplane mode is therefore a good way to keep your phone close at hand without being bothered by any buzzes or dings when something unimportant is happening during sleep hours.
• No caffeine after noon.  This is also something that will be tricky for me.  I have such a busy life:  my own business, a family and house to take care of, etc.  I need tons of energy to get through every part of my day.  It is undeniable that finding new ways other than a stiff cup of java or a large diet coke may be a necessity to getting some shut-eye when I need it most.
• Eliminate sound and light distractions.  This is the biggest sleep obstacle that I need to overcome. I share a bed with my partner and he, like so many, snores rather loudly at times.  I know I'm not the only one who gets extremely frustrated (that's putting it lightly) when I get woken up by said loud snoring.  But what to do about it?  I myself have tried those inexpensive drugstore ear plugs, but they don't stay in and they annoy my ears.  What I learned...buy the most expensive ear plugs you can afford.  The moldable silicone ones apparently stay put the best.  Another neat trick that I just learned about in this book...headbands.  These headbands actually have ear phones in them, so you can listen to some white noise or any other sleep-inducing recordings via your phone, ipod, mp3 player, et.al. without having to sleep with anything annoying in year ear.  Positively genius!  Check out this example of one such headband here.  We also have the advantage problem of having a TV in our bedroom. A TV obviously offers both light and sound issues that will distract most from good solid sleep. Sure, it's fun to watch a movie or a good show in bed at night.  But we always fall asleep with the TV on.  I'm the one that gets woken up by it in the middle of the night and can't go back to sleep after that.  I've figured out a resolution to that, though.  The sleep timer on the remote control works great.  That way, I'm soothed to sleep by my mind-numbing show of choice but not woken up hours later to some loud overwhelming infomercial.
• If all else fails, take melatonin.  I've been known to succumb to the Tylenol PM or Ny-Quil method on many an occasion.  These solutions can leave me feeling pretty drowsy the next day, though.  So about a month ago I decided to try out melatonin.  And guess what.  It didn't work.  In fact it made me feel even more restless than usual.  The "Sound Asleep" book informed me why.  Melatonin is a hormone that your body produces naturally.  It is responsible for letting your body know that it should sleep when it's dark and wake up when it's light.  Dark and light are therefore the keys to a successful melatonin trial.  So if you take melatonin when there is too much light in your room, you will undoubtedly and frustratingly remain wide awake when you are desperate for sleep.  The reason it did not work for me was due to the TV being on when I should have abided by the previous tip and removed all sources of light.  Go figure.  I will have to try melatonin again, hopefully with more success next time.
• Develop good sleep habits.  In addition to everything else I've listed above, it's important to develop actual habits...primarily going to bed and waking up at the same times each and every day.  You must train your body to know when it's time to do what you want it to do.  We obviously don't lead perfect lives.  Sometimes we have deadlines that we're trying to meet or we have a sick kid that we need to tend to or we go out for a well-deserved night on the town.  But it should be a goal to maintain some sort of normal schedule when it comes to getting rest.  Other sleep habits to adopt:  read a good book, have a cup of tea, take a bath or do some gentle stretching before you hit the hay.  If you develop a practice of doing these things on a regular basis, your body should learn that these activities mean it's time to rest and naturally go in that direction without too much additional pursuading.

I am currently a work in progress and am still trying desperately to find a way to get a good night's sleep. There are inevitably many more problems and solutions to sleep, which are further discussed in the afore-mentioned book.  These are just a few tips that I found, which I think might help me.  How well do you sleep at night?  Do you have any helpful hints for getting a solid night's rest?

Cheers to getting a good night's sleep, Julie

*pic from here, edited by me.

positive thinking ... weekend wisdom 10/19/13

source

We often times forget what the power of positive thinking can do for us.  I'm certainly guilty of that.

People who know me, and I mean REALLY know me, would probably describe me as a glass half-empty kind of girl.  And that admittedly may be true. You see, I'm a Virgo, so I tend to get caught up in details.  And all those details can really stress me out.  It's hard not to be negative about things when you are feeling the pressure.  If you ask me, though, I'm not negative at all.  I'm what I like to refer to as a realist.  I like to address a situation exactly for what it is, not for what I want it to be.  That's my way of preparing for the worst, and yet hoping for the best.  But maybe realism is simply just a disguise for negativity?  I don't really know.  What I do know, though, is that I always feel much better about life when I choose to spend time with those who lean more towards the positive approach of thinking.  And, yes, it's probably a bit more attractive to see a sunny happy positive smile on my face rather than a negative stressed-out scowl.

How would you describe your own personal approach to life?  Positive?  Negative?  Just being real?

Happy Saturday...Julie

music monday...the go go's

It's Monday.  Insert cuss word of your choice here.  

This is just going to be my new Monday mantra.  I actually used it in an email today.  Really, I did.

Some people like Mondays and are excited for the week to begin.  I am not one of those people.

At any rate, we can't do away with Mondays.  Best to just get into the groove of the new week and get on with it.  Fun upbeat music is always helpful for doing that.  And the Go Go's will suffice quite nicely...

Are you a super cool kid of the 80's like me?  Maybe not.  

But even if you weren't there, you can appreciate the hip vibes of The Go Go's. 

source

Fun, sexy, strong feminist ladies that knew how to get you up and dancing.

pinned here

I always had a little bit of a lady crush on Belinda Carlisle.  Wasn't she cute?

pinned here

Besides Belinda, Jane Wiedlin was the other Go Go that became a separate entity all in her own right in the music world.

pinned here

pinned here

These ladies really rocked it.

Vacation, We Got the Beat, Our Lips are Sealed...They put out a ton of fantastic 80s music.

And I saved this one just for you to help you get through the Monday Blues...Enjoy!

Here's to Friday getting here quick...Julie

autumn reverie

Ah yes, Autumn is upon us.  How are we feeling about that?

When I was a kid, I used to hate the Fall. As far as I was concerned, the whole season was damned because it meant the end of the happy carefree summer break and the beginning of a worry-laden new school year that was sure to be wrought with struggle and strife .  And I was just never really down with that.  With my school days long behind me, it's taken me all these years to finally get over that feeling.  I'm finally beginning to see the season for all of the truly great things that it has to offer.  Things like no more lawn-watering or gardening that I don't really have time to do, pumpkin spice flavored coffees to caffeinate our work days with, a cozy fire to lay beside while we veg out watching endless Netflix movies, big bowls of hot chili and sweet cornbread on the side to gain our winter weight with, and football games to go crazy over every weekend.  Even though the temperatures will take a dive and the rain will probably never go away (boo!), there's a comforting return to routine and calmness.  And I'm okay with that.  How about you?

Welcome to Autumn, Julie

all photos edited by me and found here:  1  // 2  // 3 // 4

how to deal with stress

pic pinned here and edited by me

I'm stressed...as usual.  But isn't that normal?  I've got a business to run with money to be made (but mostly lost), a family to take care of, a relationship to tend to, a house to keep clean, a shit-ton of laundry to do, groceries to shop for and dinner to make.  It's a lot.  I do know a few saintly women who make all of this and more happen and make it all look as easy as putting a smile on their face and waving a magic wand.   Not me.  For me, it's a bit more difficult.  Or I guess I should say, I'm a bit more difficult.  I'm the type of gal that when feeling pressured makes everyone around me want to duck and run for cover.  Sadly, it's just one of the perils of being a person who is a part of my life. 

The way I typically deal with stress is admittedly not the healthiest.  I'm most likely to just get pissed and frustrated, take it out on whoever's closest and then resort to burying my head in a roll of tp all right before heading outside to smoke a pack of cigarettes.  It's obvious.  I need to find other ways.  My experience has shown me that it should be required to prepare a stress management plan as an integral component of every business plan.  Or parenting plan.  Or relationship plan.  Don't you think?  We all need to have a plan!  One that is laid out ahead of time that we can refer to whenever we forget how to healthily manage the pressure that we put ourselves under.

I've come up with a list of things that I think I should remember to do when times get tough.  It all seems pretty obvious, but I always seem to forget this stuff when I need it the most.  

I'm guessing I'm not the only one.

So without further ado, here's what I shall do to manage my stress better from here on out:

Take a deep breath.

Go for a walk, run, hike or bike ride outside.

Do some yoga.

Meditate.

Hang out with my family.

Hang out with a friend.

Schedule a therapy session.

Read a book or magazine.

Go to a movie.

Listen to either some calming or uplifting music.

Work on an art or craft project.

Have a hot, steaming bowl of pho.  (Pho makes everything better.)

Get a massage.

Have a mini home spa day.

Take a long bath.

Indulge in some lavender aromatherapy.

Ask for a hug.

Steal a kiss.

Drink a glass of wine.

Bake or cook something yummy and satisfying.

The point of it all is to stop and smell the roses on occasion.  Take a break from the things and situations that make life hard and make room again in your life for what's really important.  Work to live!  Don't live to work.  Take pleasure in the small things.  I'm sure there are a million more ways to handle the pressures of daily life.  Please help me add some of them to my list!

Cheers to it being Tuesday (Hey, at least it's not Monday), Julie

friday favorites...9/6/13

Here's just a few of the things that I'm finding myself into this week...


This magazine...Domino is my all-time favorite.  As many of you other design geeks out there know, it was sadly put to rest a few years ago.  But the word on the street (according to the domino magazine instagram feed a couple of days ago) is that it's coming back for good as a quarterly mag.  Stay tuned.

This book...Yes, I've already seen the film.  And, yes, I loved it.  That's why I decided to immerse myself in the story long-term.  The book is turning out to be a bit different than the flick, too, so it's well worth the read.  You should read it, too.

pinned here
The rain...There, I said it.  The rain is actually kind of one of my favorite things this week.  That might sound kind of odd coming from a girl who lives in the perpetually rainy state of Washington.  But guess what.  It's been a long gorgeous sunny summer here.  And summer is always busy.  I'm ready to snuggle in and relax indoors while the rain gently pitter patters outdoors.  The thunder and lightning that we experienced last night is actually kind of cool, too.  I'm sure I will be singing a completely different tune in a couple of months, though.  Be prepared for my inevitable future moanings and groanings of how the rain never quits.  It will most definitely happen.

pumpkin magic bars
This recipe...It's got the words "pumpkin" and "magic" in it.  What could be better?  As the afore-mentioned rain has begun to set in around these parts, it's got me thinking about Autumn and Autumn means the Fall harvest and the Fall Harvest means pumpkin.  This recipe looks like it has pumpkin AND coconut in it.  PUMPKIN AND COCONUT.  Enough said.  Must try it.

These ladies and their Instagram feeds...Brandi (@BuenoBrandi) and Kelly (@Iheartbueno) of Mucho Mucho Bueno Bueno.  Besides having a great blog and their own jewelry line, they both have quite the knack for cool photography and always seem to capture some of the most innovative shots.  Their approach to life is fresh, young, fun and adventurous and I totally dig the amazing way they manage to portray that through their instagram photos.  These girls really know how to live.

This necklace by Moorea Seal.  You can find it here.  Truth be told, I don't really wear a lot of jewelry.  But truth also be told, I don't have much money to spend on jewelry nor do I currently have the kind of lifestyle that can afford to wear such outfits that require super hip modern jewelry like this.  But if I was living my ideal truth, I would totally have this necklace.  I'm really into the modern geometry style right now.  

That's about it for now.  What are you into this week?

TGIF, Julie

geek, chic AND relative ladies

So slightly embarrassing confession here...I had never watched a TedTalks episode until last weekend.  I know.  Sad, but true.  My oh-so-exciting Friday night, as my Friday nights always are (she said sarcastically), entailed laying in bed by myself and searching Netflix for something to keep me awake for another couple of hours until I felt it was a respectable time to call it a day and give in to my sleepiness.  I had come across TedTalks in previous Netflix searches and was definitely intrigued, but had always backburnered them for a later date.  This night I chose to meet my destiny and started into the legend that is TedTalks.  And now I'm hooked.

I stayed up past 2 am watching episode after episode and wondering how I ever made it through life without them.  So much inspiration and information to be had!  On this particular night I needed something to inspire me.  And I sure found it.

Here are a few of my favorite episodes that I found that night.  These ladies all represent the very essence of
geek, chic, relativity.  Something we could always use a little bit more of, in my opinion.

Enjoy, Julie