Harumph. I woke up feeling worse today than I did at the end of yesterday. My throat hurts; my body feels exhausted; and I keep coughing up a lung. It’s quite attractive I tell you. Looks like today will be a day on the couch with the little girl beside me. Sometimes being sick isn’t so bad. I try to focus on the positive. Like the fact I…

…get to stay in PJs all day without a care in the world.

I laughed when I put these on because M’s eyes lit up. “Ooohh! Mommy. Piiiinnnnk pants!” I guess to her they show more class than my typical workout clothes I live in? Who am I to deny her opinion?

I also get to watch a bunch of Friends during her nap.

Friends always makes me feel better. I will forever claim this show as my favorite. And I want to know where my Friends The Movie is? They had two Sex & The City movies after all.

I have free reign to eat all the yoatgurt parfaits my heart desires.

They smooth my firey throat quite well. I admit they were a second choice…but Yogli Mogli won’t deliver. I can get food from China on my doorstep but not frozen yogurt. Something wrong with that. 😉

Basically, my body forces me to take more chill time. I typically go go go from the first moment I wake. How sad that illness has to make me slow down? It reminds me of a particular moment in Eat, Pray, Love.

…Americans have an inability to relax into sheer pleasure. Ours is an entertainment-seeking nation, but not necessarily a pleasure seeking one. Americans spend billions to keep themselves amused…but that’s not the same as quiet enjoyment…We all inevitably work too hard, then we get burned out and have to spend the whole weekend in our pajamas, eating cereal straight out of the box and staring at the TV in a mild coma (which is the opposite of working, yes, but not exactly the same thing as pleasure). Americans don’t really know how to do nothing.

I agree with that. To an extent. I will be the first to admit that I don’t really know how to do nothing. The closest to that I come is my morning 20-30 minutes of prayer and Bible reading. But I would not describe it as nothing. I’m still reading and studying and communicating. Also, when I think of doing nothing it doesn’t really connate pleasure for me. I like reading, looking at blogs, talking to someone I care for on the phone, playing with my daughter, curling up on the couch with my husband and a movie, etc in those precious spare moments I can grasp.

Do I enjoy those things because that’s all I know in a society of doing and feel a need to fill time? Or do I enjoy them because they truly give me more pleasure than sitting with my thoughts? Is it wrong to want to fill time if those things increase your happiness?  While I do understand the importance of taking a break from daily stresses, I don’t know how I feel about the need to do nothing. Maybe one day I’ll know. But not today…because I know when sick I’ll be distracting myself any way I can. 😉

• What do you do to feel better when sick?
• How do you feel about doing absolutely nothing like described in EPL?

Let me start off by saying I love my husband!!! I accidentally deleted this post and he saved the day by finding a way to recuperate it. Has that ever happened to you? Tell me I’m not alone! Now to my saved post. 😀

Last night while getting ready for bed, I realized that I have quite a few healthy habits that pose no problems. Then, on the flip side, I have my fair share I seem to struggle with. I’ve mentioned before that I’m not perfect. This just goes to show so even more. My problems and my not-problems. We all have them! 😉

Not Problem: Teeth Maintenance. I loathe the feel of dirty teeth and going to bed without a minty storm in my mouth. Flossing, brushing, and mouthwash rinsing almost calm me before bed. Even when I face the strong desire of collapsing into bed headfirst with clothes still on I will make a point to polish my pearly whites. Note – not my teeth below. [Source]

Problem: Makeup Removal. I don’t wear makeup often, but when I do, quite the struggle ensues on whether or not its worth cleaning my face before bed, especially the mascara. The devil on my left shoulder usually wins out. I hate doing it! The mascara stains on my pillow case will attest to that.

Not Problem: Working Out. It is my “me-time”. My solace. A pure pleasure to my day. If there’s a way to get a workout in that day, you better believe it will happen for me nine times out of ten. The endorphins I leave with always make the time worth it and set up a positive tone for my day. This morning’s Power class did just that. The new release is tough!!!

Problem: Sleeping. I know adequate rest is vital to good health. And I do my best. Normally I get around 7-8 hours per night, but not lately. I have pregnancy insomnia in a sense. I rarely can fall asleep before 11 and my body wakes me around 4 am every morning for a bathroom run. Then, I register that my hips and back ache from the uncomfortable sleeping positions and I have difficulty getting back to a quality sleep. I doze in and out for 1.5 hours, but its not the same. I miss my sleep!

Not Problem: Releasing pressure. And *ahem* that would be in the form of gas. I have always been one flatulent chick. I vividly remember torturing my younger brother and sister by sitting on their faces and letting one rip when I was younger. Don’t judge me. I don’t need too many beans to be musical. The bunny makes it cuter, no? 😉

Problem: Actually going. I think this is the part of pregnancy I loathe the most. My stomach aches a lot and much of it is purely from a lack of quality bathroom time. I drink water. I eat fiber. I move my body. Having a #2 schedule like a 90 year old grandmother should not happen to me! And don’t worry…there will be no pictures for this one. Ewwwww.

Not Problem: Eating healthfully. I  feel so much better when I eat a balanced and healthful diet. That alone motivates me enough to give my body the good stuff. With treats here and there too of course. 😉

Problem: Lack of variety. I get in food grooves where I will eat the same thing (or very similar) day in and day out. Variety is the spice of life and should be part of healthy eating to help get in a variety of nutrients. I’m not opposed to eating different things. I like a lot of different things. But having a routine and not needing to buy a TON of ingredients at the store always seems to win out. Plus, I like my food. Even if that means 5 of the 7 weekly breakfasts are some form of oats, nubutter, and fruit.

• What healthy habits do you have no problem with and which require more focus from you?
• Do you get in food ruts or have food kicks? Or do you need a lot of variety?
• Be sure to check out the 30 Days of Self-Love challenge coming to my site in September! And don’t forget to let me know if you added my button or shared the challenge on your blog.