Exercise!!!

I joined my local YMCA. I looked at other gym memberships and the Y offers more bang for my limited budget. Childcare, of course, became the biggest deal breaker for most of the local gyms.

I started with one class...cycle. I started going a few times a week. It was hard. I was not in good physical shape, keeping up with the instructor was a challenge. But I kept going and started improving. Then I started going regularly and hitting the bike intensely. I got to meet the other regulars and found that seeing the same group of people each time was immensely motivating. I've made "gym friends."I started trying some of the other classes like "PiYo" and Step Aerobics. 

I've found the motivation that it was in me this whole time. 

Now fitness is life. I have done a lot of irreversible damage to my body. Being a mom many times over, I am covered in stretch marks and some embarrassing bits of saggy skin. But overall, I look and feel much better than I have in too many years. I've embraced body positivity and will confidently wear a bikini in public.

The extended bonus of my YMCA membership is that I get to relax in a lounge chair every weekend of the summer while my toddler splashes around the sprinkler park and my teen plays basketball with friends. Our family's overall well being is amazingly healthy and well balanced. 

Sleep!!!

I keep a pretty rigid schedule. I've learned a lot about self discipline and how far I can push myself in the last year. I'm pleased with the changes I've made inside and out. I started with one small thing at a time. The first thing I took on was sleep.

I love the apple sleep analysis and "Bedtime" settings. If you aren't using them yet, you are missing out on a great tool.

Going to sleep and waking up at the same time everyday is powerful. Within a week I felt stronger and more alert during the day. I have more energy and people have stopped telling me I "look tired."I've been keeping this up for over a year now and don't know how I lived without it. I wake up just before my alarm and no longer feel groggy in the morning. My toddler and I have time to spend together as we get ready for our day now that mommy isn't stressed about getting out the door.