double encouragement

So today was a great day! I was productive all day long – cleaned the apartment, got my workout in early during the day, was able to make a good dinner and have a friend over! Good day. And – tomorrow is going to be another good day – because Caleb returns to me!!

It is wonderful having visitors I have realized because it forces you to get your place looking decent....make a date to have friends over! Our apartment does not quite look like House Beautiful will be by to photograph anytime soon, but I got laundry put away, the bed made – the usual stuff normal people get done every day (especially when they are job-less and have time on their hands….).

Today I woke up with a “To Do List” that included cleaning, walking Lu, organizing, running Lu, grocery shopping, running myself, and being all prepared to cook dinner and have my Knoxville friend, Sarah Henderson, over for dinner at 6:30.

I started my blog this morning, got it up on Facebook, and started talking to my friend, Ellen Kessel. Already, I was learning and being encouraged by people reading my blog…how cool!! Just as I was thinking about how I would love to just start focusing on housework, Ellen and I decided that we would both go run! We started talking at 11:21, and decided that at 11:30, we would get off Facebook and run. It was just what I was looking for by starting this blog…being encouraged and being able to encourage. It is cool.

So my first bit of encouragement from today is to work with others.

Secondly, if you have trouble tearing yourself away from chores or “more important priorities” to go exercise, I can understand. Usually, with my attention to detail, I have trouble getting away from tasks during the day (and therefore, I get my workouts in at night at the last minute). But don’t forget…your health is a priority! The only way I have found I can make myself workout during the day is if I literally run my errands. There are two main ways I go about doing this….

1)      If you are running errands where you know you have a lot to carry back to your house, like groceries, make your route a loop that ends at a grocery near your house. This is what I did today! I ran a 4-mile loop from my apartment that ended at the grocery, just a quarter of a mile from our apartment. I carried my grocery list and debit card in my sports bra (sorry if that is too much information, but I thought you might wonder). I was able to go straight from working out to wandering up and down the grocery aisles deciding what I would cook for dinner tonight…without burning any gasoline, another plus!  This will obviously be difficult if your kitchen is depleted of its basic necessities…I found this out the hard way today. I decided today was the day to restock our refrigerator with the largest bottles of ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise (yes, the biggest container), pickles, banana peppers, and olives….yes, pretty much the all of the densest, heaviest items the grocery sells….O, and a 5-pound box of dog cookies. And dinner for tonight. Ha! I probably could have planned ahead a bit better, but I got an arm workout this way! Last time I did this, my arms were sorer than after lifting weights.

2)      If you are running errands that do not require much lifting at all, make those your destination! My three favorite destinations include the bank, the post office, and Redbox. All of these places require carrying at most 1 pound, unless you have a lot of mail…or money. It is really good to have a destination I think because you are focused on just getting there. You are not thinking about the total distance of there and back. Once you get to the destination, then you realize you have to run back. This is a good way to bump up your mileage! If you can run two miles easily right now, find a destination two miles away. Focus on getting there, take a break if you need to once your get there, and you have two miles to get back home!

In Knoxville, my bank was about a mile and a half from my parents’ house. There was usually no urgency to deposit money, so I would never drive. I would just wait until I had some free-time and run there. A hint about the post office: If you are taking mail you care about, put it in a zip-loc baggy. Even the items in your hands get sweaty on a run, so wrap them up safely. My final destination is my favorite! Redbox. I love running to Redbox because if you are frugal like me, it guarantees that you will have to go for another run the next day to return it!

My day ended up being just perfect! I did not get the apartment vacuumed or completely dusted, but I organized, exercised, cooked, and enjoyed great time with Sarah.

We had broiled rosemary salmon, steamed broccoli, and wilted spinach egg noodles for dinner. Sarah brought red velvet and zucchini walnut cupcakes over from Crave Cupcakes. Yum!

https://www.cravecupcakes.com/

And now I cannot wait for tomorrow….