Good evening my pals! Did you have a good day? I certainly hope so. I know its only been a couple days, but would love to hear your thoughts on my new ways of posting – more often, more personal in the 30 DSLR posts, random glimpses into my life on other posts, occasional tips, etc. I will always be true to myself, but value you all as my readers and friends. Therefore, I care about your take on things as well.

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My energy the past few days has certainly compensated for the lackluster drive I had for anything last week. Last week, I had no desire for a formal workout whatsoever. This week I felt the complete opposite. Monday I completed a TurboKick workout at home. Tuesday I took a spin class. Wednesday I went for a walk. And today I made sure to get in a weights session with an at home circuit.

I typically use a Cathe DVD for weights workouts at home, but I didn’t feel like having to set up a bunch of equipment in my basement. So, I opted for resistance bands. They are such a handy workout tool for versatile, effective, and portable workouts. For today’s workout, I mixed up a lot of squats, lunges, and pushups with moves like rows, overhead presses, bicep curls, and triceps extensions with the band. I basically continued alternating upper and lower body moves to keep my heart rate up for a solid 30 minutes. Coupled with another walk, it made for a great impromptu and couldn’t-make-it-to-the-gym workout.

Oh I can’t wait for post baby when I start designing my own workouts to share with you guys!! 😀 Some ladies out there know what I can come up with. 😉

I worked up a decent appetite and figured tonight was a perfect night to healthify one of my favorites right now – Mexican! After seeing veggie enchiladas on Caitlin’s, Jessica’s, and Brittany’s blogs I have craved them. I kind of did a hodge podge of all their creations.

I cooked up some baby bella mushrooms, sweet corn, onion, and green bell pepper until soft.

I combined about 1/4 c of sour cream and 1 small can green chilies to mix with the veggies. Then, I placed a couple spoonfuls of refried black beans and the veggie mixture into each tortilla.

Rolled up, topped with more sauce and cheese, then baked in a 350 oven for about 25 minutes.

More of a mixing together of things than a recipe (and not very photogenic), but they sure turned out good!

You should try them! Then, stay away from me for about the next 24 hours. Toot toot! 😀 See ya in the morning!

• Please feel free to share any feedback that I mentioned at the start of the post. 😀
• What type of workouts do you do when in a time-crunch or stuck at home?

I hope you all are having fabulous days so far! Be sure to check out this morning’s 30 Days of Self Love post. Just because it goes up in the morning and other posts appear later does not mean its closed from comments.;) And your thoughts on today’s topic (eating naturally) really intrigue me!

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In the past few weeks I have focused on getting more sleep. My sleep patterns have changed so much over time. In college, getting by with only 4-5 hours a night posed no problem. Then, during my first years of teaching, 8-9 hours didn’t feel like enough! Now, anything in the 7 hour range feels just right. It’s like I’m Goldilocks or something. PS – You’re welcome for finding you your Halloween costume this year. PPS – Don’t forget that sarcasm font I talked about.

Knowing that I function best with around 7 hours of sleep does not necessarily mean I get that much sleep. Pregnancy aches and babies sitting on bladders wake me at least two times every night. For awhile, it would take me quite a bit of time to fall back asleep, if at all, and I would finish the night with only 4 hours of quality rest. I also felt the need to push my wake-up time earlier in order to remotely finish my long to-do lists every day. My body ran close to empty. I do not recommend!

I still don’t sleep as much as I would like because of pregnancy, but I’ve gotten better about getting enough sleep so I don’t feel like each day drags by and my thoughts revolve around naps. I’ll share mine and then I hope you share yours! I can still use some help. 😉

Don’t think!! My thoughts would keep me up after my midnight pillow, tummy, sleep position adjustments. If I started going through the next day’s to-do list, things that concerned me, the future, dinners for the following week, etc, I had no hope of getting back to sleep easily. Now, I lay down and keep my mind as empty as possible. Or I will even just think “I am at peace, I sleep. God helps me rest” over and over again. Oddly enough, it works.

Find an activity that doesn’t wake you up before bed. I like winding down by curling up on the couch with the husband, some sort of television, and our chats. I have learned the hard way that being on the computer right before bed keeps me up! Be mindful of what activities help you fall into bed and get to sleep quickly. If my mind is running a mile a minute, reading for a few minutes tends to help me as well. I also have a small treat every night after dinner (a bit of chocolate, some of my pumpkins, a small serving of icecream). It helps me wind down and puts me in a happy place. I’m honest!

Hit the hay when you’re tired. Numerous times I stayed up because it wasn’t “bed time” yet. I was ready for bed but went by the clock instead of my body. By the time I got to bed, my body felt frustratingly tired where its hard to just drift off. Tell me you know what I’m talking about!

Find ways to manage your daytime better. If I know I can organize my day well to complete necessary tasks, I don’t feel as much stress. I don’t lay in bed thinking about things I didn’t finish or fretting over what needs to happen the following day. Plus, I can fit in a bit more sleep because I don’t force myself out of bed earlier and earlier to get things done. Remember my lists from last night?

These tips may not help when I wake up for another potty break and realize its just 30 minutes before my alarm (GRRRRRR!!!!!), but they have helped me feel more rested overall. At least for the next four months….then all bets are off when a new baby comes into the mix!

• How many hours of sleep do you need to function best?
• What are your sleep better tips?