Would you like to know how a typical morning/early afternoon goes for me? Let me walk you through it. My mind and my world can be a very weird place sometimes. 😉

5:33 am – Alarm goes off and I hit snooze.
5:43 am – Snooze goes off. I stretch and roll out of bed. Make my way downstairs. Boy, would a cup of coffee be nice right now! But, heck, I don’t feel like making it and don’t even know if we have coffee. I kind of give up on it when all I can have is decaf.

5:50 am – Settle in to read my Bible and pray.
6:15 am – Catch up on emails, let my mind start turning for the 30 Days post of the morning.
6:50 am – Crank out 30 Days post. Thank goodness I decided to do things my style. Sooo much easier to write now!
7:15 am – Schedule post. Read a couple blogs before M wakes up at 7:30. She isn’t always this cute.

7:30 am – Madness ensues. Get both M and I up and dressed. Battle the Ms. Independent child who shouts “self! self!” for everything from putting on her clothes to turning off her sound machine.
8:00 am – Make breakfast. Sweet, heavenly breakfast.

**pumpkin pancakes made with 1/2 c blended oats, 1/2c pumpkin, 1/2 scoop cinnamon protein powder, 1 egg – then topped with maple almond butter and syrup**

8:20 am – Bring breakfast into the bathroom so M can potty. Consume breakfast while sitting on the bathroom floor, knowing full well the child will neither poop nor pee.
8:35 am – I was right. Leave the bathroom and go in playroom. Practice singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and the ABCs. Read piles of books. When Ms. Independent is over playing with Mommy, do a bit more sporadic blog reading on the netbook sitting next to her.
10:00 am – Oh dang!!! It’s 10 already? Grab yoga mat, transfer  things from purse to gym bag, fill water bottle and milk sippy. Fight to get shoes on my precious daughter. Try to keep calm when temper tantrum ensues.
10:30 am – Ahhh….yoga!!
10:50 am – My golly this class is tough today. Wait…did she just say MORE sun salutations?
11:00 am – MORE warriors and crescent lunges???!!!!

11:15 am – Hip openers, how I love you.
11:25 am – Savasana…you rock!!! Can I stay here forever. Ha. Keep dreaming.
11:45 am – Arrive home. Shower with Ms. Independent to avoid massive catastrophe in that 15 minute span. Feel endeared when she says “Mommy, look! I copy Mommy!” and mimics me shaving my legs.
12:00 pm – Get out. Dry off. Get dressed in comfy clothes. Head downstairs to make lunch. Hmm..the panini press and griddler is still out. I think I’ll make paninis! Don’t even have to clean the plates. Just switch them out and call it good. 😀

12:20 pm – Devour lunch. Swiss cheese, toasted pine nut hummus, tomatoes, and pickles on whole wheat. With an apple on the side. Typical lunch. Delicious lunch. Although, I did mutter a few grumblings about the alternate-universe-farmer’s-market that has caused a serious lack of produce in this house.
12:40 pm – Put M down for nap. Type this. And…here we are! 😀

The remainder of my day will include biting my tongue while trying to help my Dad set up a political blog he wants to start. Then, heading out to my friend’s rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Look for a post tonight on how I manage not to overindulge when out at social events. Happy Friday! Love to each of you.

• What are some typical parts of your day?
• Anything exciting going on this weekend? My weekend = wedding, wedding, and more wedding. Oh…and a Chuck E Cheese birthday party. Should be interesting.

I’ve mentioned before on this blog the difficulty I face with resting. Doing nothing. Letting things go and taking a break. The need to rest can be hard to accept because we want to believe we can do it all. We want to have control and make certain that our actions achieve the results we desire. We want to feel proud for our achievements.

I know I have tried getting up early to cram more into my day. I eventually felt so exhausted all the time that I accomplished less overall. I had no energy! I have avoided taking rest days from workouts to fit in all the things I “should” to lose weight. I ended up taking a couple weeks off from an extremely achy body and lacked motivation to return. Even now, I fill my schedule and don’t get enough genuine rest from doing and going in my everyday life. I take time each day for things I enjoy, but rarely does that include a moment of nothing.

Our minds and bodies need rest. They need moments of peace regularly. It helps rejuvenate us so we can feel strong and capable of facing life. It gives us time to decompress and appreciate our lives. Rest enables us to continue growing into the people we aim to be. Without rest, we turn into empty vessels, drained of life and the energy to live it. I know those days when I find a time to relax and calm myself, I can handle so much more. I continue to learn the lesson of needing rest. I forget so easily, but always seek it out with time.

How will you rest today? I have a very busy weekend ahead with my friend’s wedding. I will begin by taking 10 minutes this morning to just sit quietly with no distractions. Then, during yoga, I will love every moment of savasana. 😉

Check out these bloggers who shared their personal 30 DSLR reflections:

• Respectfully Captivating
• Ulterior Harmony