by Mollie Millington | Sep 13, 2017 | eating, exercise, family, outdoors, relax, running, self care
Of course, different strokes for different folks but I had an awesome weekend and think you should too. Here are my tips. Let me know which ones you try and how it goes.
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| Burgess Park fishing late |
- Be a parkrun tourist- Due to my next tip, I needed to be in Elephant and Castle mid-Saturday morning. I started looking at different parkruns and found Burgess Park run would be closest to where I needed to be. After a quick shout on Facebook, I had a few friends meeting me there. The bonus was that a few other friends from track happened to be there and it was perfect running weather (sunny, cool, with a slight breeze). The course is flat and pretty with a fishing lake, open lawns, and wildflower gardens. They even had orange pieces at the finish. I was #224 and pleased with my sub-30 time. After saying goodbye to everyone, I put my Osprey rucksack on and ran another 5K towards my marathon training.
- Attend an instructional weight lifting session- I was lucky enough to be invited by Vlique to attend a Girls Who Lift session at One2One fitness studio near Elephant and Castle. Although I am a certified personal trainer, I don’t have any clients right now nor do I belong to a gym. It was great to have Anna review proper technique of cleans, squats, dead lifts, and pull ups. An added bonus was that Sabine from My Life My Challenges was there too. I hadn’t seen her in ages so it was great to catch up.
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| Working on my clean but I am fatigued from running 10K |
- Hit up an activewear sale- Lululemon leggings are my gold standard in terms of quality and fit. However, they are also a big investment. Sabine knew about a sample sale, which we spent a lot of time and money at.
- Have a delicious milkshake with a good friend- Maple syrup, Jack Daniel’s and vanilla ice cream. Need I say more?
- Go on a date with your partner- Sunday was our 7th wedding anniversary. We went to Luppolo in Wanstead as it is one of our favorites. We always order the same thing.
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| Goat’s cheese, red onions, olives pizza |
- Sleep in and then go for a run- Don’t set your alarm. When I woke up, I had a rough idea that I wanted to run another 10K. I added in a stop at Rinkoff Bakery for some crodoughs, I mean to add in a mile, too.
- Eat an outdoor brunch in Victoria Park- Yes, more eating. Are you seeing a theme yet? I met James and Oldland at a cafe for yummy food in the brisk air. The sun went behind the clouds but that didn’t matter as I ate a big plate of veg, egg, and halloumi while James had banana praline pancakes.
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| More eating! |
- Make your dog a cake- Not only was it our anniversary, it was also Oldand’s 3rd adoptiversary on Monday. I found a dog-friendly cake recipe online. After Oldland licked all the Greek yogurt icing off of the cake, he swallowed the cake in two bites.
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| Liking the plate |
- Watch Outlander- The 3rd series (“season” in America) started and I cannot wait to see how they adapted Voyager.
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| I was lucky to see Outlander on Thursday night as a sneak preview 🙂 |
If you have any suggestions on what I sure try this weekend, leave a comment below and let me know.
Thanks to Vlique for the complimentary experience. All opinions are honest and my own.
by thinkmarsh | Apr 12, 2017 | health, holistic, relax, self care
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| My beautiful flowers from Prestige Flowers UK |
In today’s digital world with nearly instantaneous results, we have a tendency to overbook and over commit. It is a competition of how early we get up to go to the gym and how late we stay up to finish the newest episode of Orange is the New Black. We go to every birthday party, every leaving ‘do and never miss a workout. We never put ourselves first, which can lead us feeling tired, depressed and anxious. I say ‘enough is enough!’ It is time to take care of yourself so that you have more to give to others. Here are a few suggestions on how to administer self care. Note, these are things that make me feel better by keeping things pretty, simple, and calm.
Treat yourself- Fresh flowers aren’t just for Valentine’s Day. Prestige Flowers UK sent me a gorgeous bouquet a few weeks ago. The comments I got on Instagram were how decadent it is to have fresh flowers and others wished they had flowers too. There is nothing stopping you from picking up a beautiful bouquet every once in a while. Having them delivered was great too! They arrived in a really sturdy box whic would be manageable to carry home on public transport. I tend to pick flowers up on bank holiday weekends as I will be home for a few days in a row and can enjoy the flowers more than if I was at work.
Other treats that I enjoy once in a while include manicures with my mom or friends, trips to the cinema, and going out for a meal at my favourite resturant (aka Chipotle or Pizza Express).
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| Facial at the spa. So peaceful |
Skip a workout- Bet you never thought a personal trainer would say this. Sometimes, you just need a night off (please do not cancel less than 24 hours before your PT appointment) to refocus. There is a worry you will fall out of your training schedule but having a night off might be just the thing you need to get your mojo back. You body will appreciate the rest too if you tend to workout more than four times a week.
Have a lie in– I dare you not to set your alarm. It is glorious.
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| Sleeping on the #fitbitfifty bus |
Watch TV without multitasking– In my house, we are usually working on the laptop while the TV is on in the background (like I am now). But is that really an effective way to create quality work or to grasp plot of the show? Set a timer to just watch your show and chill, then get back to work.
Take a nap– It is amazing what a little power nap will do. Rest and recovery are very important when you are training, sp make sure you are getting enough of both. In addition, if you are burning the candle at both ends, you might need to be creative with your sleep schedule.
Revisit a favourite hobby– Usually we start a hobby because we enjoy it, and possibly because we are good at it. As we grow up, we loose the time to set aside for these fun pursuits. So pull out the sewing machine, dust off your SLR, or book a dance lesson to do something fun again.
 |
| I am learning how to make quilts (in all my spare time) |
Call an old friend– Sure, Facebook is great and so are emails but there is nothing like chatting to a friend on the phone. People seem to be so disconnected these days with text messaging and rapid fire emails. Reconnect the old school way.
Stop comparing yourself to others and let go of FOMO- This will drive you crazy and develop self-doubt. Be proud to be you. You might not get the same experiences as everyone else but it is your life to lead.
What do you do to take care of yourself? Leave a comment below and let me know.
Prestige Flowers sent me a bouquet of flowers. All views are honest and my own. They would be happy to deliver flowers for your Easter celebrations if you are looking to bring spring indoors. 🙂
by Mollie Millington | Apr 12, 2017 | health, holistic, relax, self care
|
| My beautiful flowers from Prestige Flowers UK |
In today’s digital world with nearly instantaneous results, we have a tendency to overbook and over commit. It is a competition of how early we get up to go to the gym and how late we stay up to finish the newest episode of Orange is the New Black. We go to every birthday party, every leaving ‘do and never miss a workout. We never put ourselves first, which can lead us feeling tired, depressed and anxious. I say ‘enough is enough!’ It is time to take care of yourself so that you have more to give to others. Here are a few suggestions on how to administer self care. Note, these are things that make me feel better by keeping things pretty, simple, and calm.
Treat yourself- Fresh flowers aren’t just for Valentine’s Day. Prestige Flowers UK sent me a gorgeous bouquet a few weeks ago. The comments I got on Instagram were how decadent it is to have fresh flowers and others wished they had flowers too. There is nothing stopping you from picking up a beautiful bouquet every once in a while. Having them delivered was great too! They arrived in a really sturdy box whic would be manageable to carry home on public transport. I tend to pick flowers up on bank holiday weekends as I will be home for a few days in a row and can enjoy the flowers more than if I was at work.
Other treats that I enjoy once in a while include manicures with my mom or friends, trips to the cinema, and going out for a meal at my favourite resturant (aka Chipotle or Pizza Express).
|
| Facial at the spa. So peaceful |
Skip a workout- Bet you never thought a personal trainer would say this. Sometimes, you just need a night off (please do not cancel less than 24 hours before your PT appointment) to refocus. There is a worry you will fall out of your training schedule but having a night off might be just the thing you need to get your mojo back. You body will appreciate the rest too if you tend to workout more than four times a week.
Have a lie in– I dare you not to set your alarm. It is glorious.
|
| Sleeping on the #fitbitfifty bus |
Watch TV without multitasking– In my house, we are usually working on the laptop while the TV is on in the background (like I am now). But is that really an effective way to create quality work or to grasp plot of the show? Set a timer to just watch your show and chill, then get back to work.
Take a nap– It is amazing what a little power nap will do. Rest and recovery are very important when you are training, sp make sure you are getting enough of both. In addition, if you are burning the candle at both ends, you might need to be creative with your sleep schedule.
Revisit a favourite hobby– Usually we start a hobby because we enjoy it, and possibly because we are good at it. As we grow up, we loose the time to set aside for these fun pursuits. So pull out the sewing machine, dust off your SLR, or book a dance lesson to do something fun again.
|
| I am learning how to make quilts (in all my spare time) |
Call an old friend– Sure, Facebook is great and so are emails but there is nothing like chatting to a friend on the phone. People seem to be so disconnected these days with text messaging and rapid fire emails. Reconnect the old school way.
Stop comparing yourself to others and let go of FOMO- This will drive you crazy and develop self-doubt. Be proud to be you. You might not get the same experiences as everyone else but it is your life to lead.
What do you do to take care of yourself? Leave a comment below and let me know.
Prestige Flowers sent me a bouquet of flowers. All views are honest and my own. They would be happy to deliver flowers for your Easter celebrations if you are looking to bring spring indoors. 🙂
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