Happy Holiday Weekend!
Do you have to labor on Labor Day?
For an online teacher, holidays are usually irrelevant (some schools give a week off at Christmas). But since I’m teaching f2f (face to face) on Monday nights, I actually get “a day off” from that! I’m planning to use the time to work on my grocery store scavenger hunt, unless we find something else to do.
Do you have picnics and parties planned? I don’t—I sort of forgot about Labor Day this year. I’m sure we can rustle something up if we want to. Honestly, Joe probably won’t—he has had a weird schedule lately due to a case he’s investigating, working all night one night and then the next day at noon. I’m sure if I had to do that I’d be pretty cranky–but he’s always in a good mood!
What’s your work schedule like? Do you wish it was different?
I have flip-flopped back and forth between being self-employed and then working for a company a couple times. It seemed like (for a while), whatever my situation was, I thought the opposite would be better. You know, the grass is greener issue.
I finally learned my mom’s lesson on that one—she’d always respond with, “Lisa, the grass is not greener, it’s just different grass.”
She’s right. But after my explorations, I have found that I love being self-employed and working at home a lot (with a little f2f sprinkled in). I’ve always loved being at home, and now that my new home is coming together (my clothes have a home!), it feels really good to be here. It also supports my experimental fitness/activity plan.
I’m on day 3, and I’ll spare you the play-by-play, but I feel pretty darn good right now 🙂
The foundation is that I go on several short walks during the day, and longer ones when I can fit them in (last night I walked for 75 minutes and then this morning my mom and I did that again). I also am making sure to do some kind of activity every single hour during the day (crunches, lunges, yoga, rebounding, etc.). I’m including the cliche things, like parking far away at the grocery store, etc., too.
Things to note so far:
- My feet kind of ache at times. I’m wearing (mostly) Merrell Barefoot shoes, which have a Vibram sole. But on my leisurely 5:30am walks (which I did not do this morning b/c I figured I’d walk with my mom a little later), I’ve been just wearing flip flops, and last night and today I wore running shoes to try and cushion the achiness a little.
- My hips are tight. The power walking I do with mom, up and down hills (where I live is mostly hilly), tightens them up. I should do more yoga, but it hurts 🙂
- This may be unrelated, but my appetite has been so normal—and when I’m hungry I just notice and then eat something and then I’m over it (normally, I think about food all the time)
- My arms look more defined—this is weird to me, b/c my emphasis has been more on lower body so far. But hey, I’ll take it. (maybe it’s left over from moving?)
- I’m not requiring a lot of sleep (this started with my new dietary changes and is getting “more” this way now). I enjoy getting up before anyone else (especially when it’s not to do work), and I find myself waking up at 3 and 4 thinking it is late enough to get up. I’m totally rested though–I budgeted in a nap, but I haven’t yet taken one. Not to say I haven’t done my share of relaxing and lounging!
We’ve got a wedding to go to this afternoon, so that’s the highlight of our lazy and relaxing 3-day weekend! Hope you have a good one Lisa =)
What is your secret!? Aside from achey feet at times you sound like you’re doing amazingly great! He’ll I would take more defined arms in a heartbeat. Working at home can be tough on your physical health so I commend you for keeping active, that is motivation at it’s finest. Maybe you can sell your table and buy a new one! Or a new to you table online or at an antique store.
i love this post, lisa! i’d swear we were having a lovely conversation with so many things to chat about!
glad you’re feeling so good. i LOVE getting up early in the morning (5 a.m.)! wish we could take a yoga class together – i think we would both do well in a class setting!
i will not be labouring on labour day – the store is actually closed, imagine! and i LOVE my work schedule – it changes, i work some days, some nights, always weekends, and i love the variety. glad you get a break monday eve!
i would sell the table and buy another one. ikea or west elm for rugs??
enjoy the rest of your weekend! we’ve got a t-storm going on right now – quite the light show!
Could you paint the table? I love the look of a wooden table with glossy white paint! We never make big plans for labour day. This year we’re going to go play in a corn maze (yay!) and stain the deck (boo!).
“the grass is not greener, it’s just different grass.” I LOVE that!!!I assume you are foam rolling for the hips??? My hips were all messed up after baby. irst they grow realy wide and loose while pregnant, then after they get all tight. A mess I tell yah.Rugs…I can’t help yah there. Are you looking expensive oriental rugs or cheap?? Crate and Barrel, Ikea for cheap. Have a great weekend!!!
We’ve gotten rugs at Pier 1 and Target — I think it depends on what sort of look you’re going for though.
Honestly I’d live with the table until I could find a new one. Unless you could live without it, then get rid of it.Â
Breakfast: 1/2 banana with PB before my run, then a big smoothie afterward.Â
I love the quote about “it is just different grass” – that is so true. As someone who tends to look at what others have and wonder if I’ve made good decisions, that really sticks out to me. There seem to be positives and negatives to almost any situation and you just have to think/pray/decide what is best at the time.Â
I totally forgot about looking at Pier 1 …thanks!
On Sun 04/09/11 22:53 , “Disqus”
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Foam rolling and using the trigger point kit—I love/hate that thing!
I’m looking for cheap rugs that look expensive 🙂  Never thought of C&B, thanks!
The table is glass…but I wish it was something I could paint! The half-stained deck looks nice 🙂
I really do need a yoga partner—I want myself to do it, but I don’t make myself go to class or do it at home!
I have my eye on a table at an antique store…maybe they’ll buy mine!
I love weddings! Hope you had fun 🙂
I am obsessed with my Keurig and have only had it a week! Only problem is it makes it even easier to fuel my coffee addiction.  I don’t know if you have an IKEA near you but they have tons of rugs and they are pretty cheap as well.
Ahhhh I miss you so much!!! I want to have access to amazing food all the time ahhaa oh well. Are you utilizing your gym membership well?? Also I called you tonight ahaaha I need book reading ideas!
I’m sort of planning a trip to Savannah with my mom, but trying to figure out how it will all work! Your experimental fitness plan is interesting sounding, thanks for the update!
The keurig is definitely awesome—I was thinking it would cause me
to drink less coffee, but that is not the case!
Thanks—I don’t have an Ikea, but I think maybe there’s one near boston and I’m going there next weekend!
Enjoying my first cup right now 🙂
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Allison @ PickyEatingRD
How do you have time to read books? 🙂
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I’m so glad you got the day off! I hope you enjoyed it. I don’t work legal holidays, and because my kids are in religious Jewish yeshivas, they do have school on legal holidays, which means I get the day all to myself. Yesterday was a big cooking and organizing day. I could use an extra day off every week!
rugs.. Ikea, West Elm, Pottery Barn, Pier 1…depends on budget…of course!
and tables…If you have the storage, save it. Or if you don’t care about it and feel adventurous, paint it or jazz it up with a DIY project.
Oh wow, so many questions! I’ll start with answer one that I can relate to…a perfectly good table that doesn’t necessarily look great in our home. We have one! I love the table, but I know we could do better. We’re saving money so that’s on our list for next year 🙂
When I was working at home I always wished I didnt, but now that I don’t work at home I sometimes with I did. You’re mom is right, “the grass is always greener…”. I try to tell myself that one often. We always want what we don’t have!Â
I didn’t work on Labor Day, so Nick and I went to the local arts festival and just relaxed, a lot, it was quite nice. Nick finally gets holidays off at his new job, I’m loving it.
I wish macadamia nuts were as cheap (and common!) as peanuts… they are SO GOOD! Especially roasted and salted… which I’m sure isn’t great for their nutritional profile but I’m okay with that sometimes 🙂