I Make Myself

The best Christmas gift

Since yesterday I talked about Christmas and presents I decided to share with you today something very close to my heart.

I give you...this year's BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT idea:

 

A new Garmin (wrapped around a puppy who is sitting on top of the Harry Potter collection). 

Who wouldn't want this??? 

Now, this is not a subliminal message to Heinz Santa Claus. I figured that a lot of people find it hard to Christmas shop particularly when it comes buying something special for a special someone. Well, not anymore. I am making it a lot easier for you today, you can't go wrong with this gift. 

I just want to point out that we are still a month and a half away from Christmas day so there is plenty of time to get it all wrapped up in golden ribbon.

Go, go, go!

Tell me are you already planning your Christmas gifts? do you have a best Christmas gift idea? 

 

Christmas in October

I know...it may be a little silly but what can I tell ya'

My Christmas lights are up, the Christmas tree is ready and the Advent Calendar is all set up and yes, October is not even over.

I am leaving this friday for my yoga teacher training in Costa Rica and I will not come back until Dec 7th which would have left me with little to no time to get everything ready for Christmas. This is the first year (out of six) Heinz and I are decorating and you know, just taking Christmas seriously so I didn't want to have to rush, having everything bought and done at the last minute. 

This is the first time we are having and Advent Calendar which is made out of 24 little presents you open each day from December 1st and the last one on Christmas day. I already have Christmas's gift picked out!  1 down 23 more to go. 

The Christmas lights are the funniest. They are hanging from my balcony so people can see them from the street. People must think a Christmas obsessed person lives in my apartment and to tell you the truth...I've NEVER been as excited as I am about this year's Christmas! Maybe that is why people decorate...inneresting.

Today is filled with more things to get done before I leave (the 23 presents are kinda stressing me out) so I wanted to start my day out right. The weather is great these days. I believe we get the loveliest weather from October to February. There is a slight cold breeze through the day and at night it gets chilly...you know salvadorean chilly not polar chilly.

 

Cooler weather calls for a warmer breakfast so I had this lovely apple oatmeal.

I used some rolled (not instant) oats, one apple, almond milk and cinnamon. 

I cut the apple into bite size squares, poured the almond milk and heated it up in the microwave for two minutes. Once it was nice and hot I poured the mix over the oats, mixed and waited about a minute for it to cool down a bit.

I'm not big oatmeal fan. I will have overnight oats once in a while but they are not my first breakfast choice unless they taste as good as they did today. I think I mixed too much milk though so I will try them again some other day with less liquid.

I hope your day kicked off to a good start too. Oats or no oats.

Life lately

 

The things making me happy this week are 1) getting to see little girls dancing in the rain 2) mixed and unmatched patterns 3) Trying out a new restaurant with hubby 4) Soggy breaded zucchini sticks 5) surprise visit from a bff 6) Christmas tree shopping for the very first time in my life.

Today is thursday, go ahead and make your list of happy things before the week ends :)

 

Unstucking process

As a freelancer/entrepreneur I try to set myself a working schedule. Isn't that why most people want to become their own boss?

I organize meetings, write, research and rest as I want.

That is...most of the time.

These past few days have been the busiest weeks I've had since the beginning of the year.

 - In with the work out with the workouts -

It has been incredibly hard to squeeze in a run to the gym, a yoga class or a light jog.

This week I decided it was enough. Working out is not something I do, it is part of who I am. 

First of all I had to deal with the fact that I want to do everything at once. I understand that this is aggravated by the fact that I leave in a week and I won't be able to do any work for a month.

Still, it is my fault for trying to fit EVERYTHING in one day, week, etc. Note to self:  Distribute the work load.

Then I had to come to terms with another fact: I wont finish everything before I leave and that...is not the end of the world.

Subconscious thinks: Scary. My mind says: but true. 

There are things I can't control. Some may be good (work) and some may be overwhelming (too much work) but I have to learn to take them in as they pop up in my life. Now, this is easier said than done. I keep repeating myself "deal with it, deal with it"  and at the same time my back is so tense that one of my shoulders is kind of stuck. I think I could use a massage.

I finally made myself get out and go for a run. It is unbelievable how 30 minutes of doing what you love can remind you how to be yourself.

Call it a mirror, a time travel, meditation, pep talk, me time...I don't care. It redirects you.

As I learn to balance my life and my shoulder gets slowly unstuck I tell myself something:

As I said there are things I can't control, from time to time I may find not only my shoulder but my whole self stuck in life ...but at least I know what I need to do to get unstuck. Thirty minutes of doing what I love will have me moving forward in no time.

Have you found what you need to do to unstuck yourself? If you have please share!

Fit or Fabric?

So much, so much to tell!

I had been looking forward to this weekend because our plan for saturday's afternoon was to go pick berries somewhere up in the volcano. We have an inactive (I think it's inactive and it better be) volcano that is within a  20 to 30 minutes drive from the city. It's really beautiful and there are several restaurants and cafes where you can go and enjoy the "different" weather. Different as in a little bit colder maybe around 18°? We salvadoreans are very sensitive to cold weather so anything below 20°'s will have us wrapping ourselves up in wool!

So up we went. The story behind the trip was that a friend of mine (the one who took the About Me pictures for my blog) is an amazing photographer and well, I really want to learn more about taking my photos and getting the results I want. She offered to teach me and another friend (the one who designed the blog!) some basic photography skills. 

My friend and I both signed up immediately to her offer and anticipated the weekend every single day of the week. 

There was some preparation involved because even though I have a digital camera we would be using an analog one. I took some photography classes in college so I have an "old" camera. I bought it when I started college, 12 years ago...I don't even want to go into that subject.

Anyways, I had to look for it, get new batteries which to my surprise are not in stock at the photography place here in El Salvador! and get film. FILM!.

Off we went to the high lands of the San Salvador's volcano. As a side note I do have to point out we are currently under something we call "rainy season" but whatever.

We got there, got out of the car and...took shelter.

 

Picking berries and taking pictures didn't happen.

Sunday had a series of much happier (and dryer) events.

I mentioned last week that I would be going out on a run and on a yoga shopping spree. Guess which one of those didn't happen.

Right.

This is what I bought.

    

 

1. Under Armour seamless essential sports bra

2. Under Armour Hot Shot Heat Gear Capri

3. Nike sweatpants in skinny fit

4. FILA cross front/flared yoga pants

The interesting fact about all these clothes is that they are all new for me -obviously I just bought them- but also I've never wore either the fit or the brand.

I tend to buy clothes that will be good for running, gym and yoga. Frugal but not always so comfortable.

For yoga I mainly use Nike crapris because they are colorful and I also like their fit. My main discomfort with them is about performance. They are tight fitting capris but they roll up a bit, up to behind the knee and when I add some sweat to the equation it can get itchy. During class I find myself pulling them down so I can avoid this and it's distracting. I am not sure if it's the fabric or the fit but this doesn't happen when I run in them

To solve this problem I've decided to try out other brands with different fabrics and fit.

The Under Armour Heat Gear Capri feels amazing. The fabric is way softer than other brands. It's also lighter so I will have to see if my underwear shows when I bend over -not cool- oh, because I DO wear underwear with sport clothes but that's another post. The Nike sweatpants are skinny but not so tight, they are also made out of cotton so I'm going to give it a try. The FILA cross front pants are the best fitted pants I've ever tried on. They are really flattering for my body type (short and not curvy at all) but I have to see how they perform because the fabric feels like the Nike capris I use. I think this one will help me figure out if it is either the fabric or the fit that I have to prioritize.

I will tell you how they do as I begin to wear them. The training approaches and I feel...ready,

Question: have you tried the Under Armour seamless bra? it looks and feels great! I have my doubts when it comes to support but I am really looking forward to trying it out.

When it comes to yoga clothes which one do you prefer? brands? fit? colors?

 

 

Happy Thursday

A week in photos...

      

Actually the one with Heinz is a vintage one but I recently found it and thought it was worth sharing.

This week I've been getting matching tattoos, cooking, eating leftovers (Ok, cupcakes) from hubby's birthday, attending a variety of cultural events and writing about them.

You guessed right...no gym involved whatsoever BUT I do have a couple of fitness related activity coming up for the weekend:

1. A run

2. A yoga clothes shopping spree! 

Any recommendations? advice? anyone?

 

• Mentally prepared? •

It's funny how the brain works. Take a look at what's inside my head. This is how I "think" I am preparing for my Yoga Teacher Training Program:

I am a little concerned about my wardrobe. I don't have enough yoga clothes to wear for two weeks let alone an entire month and how I will handle laundry still escapes my mind.

I'm not sure I will be able to run. Nosara has dusty roads and if I do manage to get some running done it will certainly be trail running and I don't have trail running shoes. I wonder if wearing my regular shoes will get me injured.

I haven't even asked if I will have hot water in the shower. Damn it! 6:00 AM classes will be not be fun if I have to shower with cold water. Not showering at all may become an option.

Should I bring my yoga mat? That thing is heavy...I should buy some kind of transportation method.

Who will water my basel while I'm gone? Heinz will forget about my plants.

Should I venture into surfing while I'm there? Last time the stingrays warning signs freaked the hell out of me. Even though they are not as frequent these sea creatures do visit the shore once in a while. Getting sting must hurt. Ouch.

I should pack medication...and also a flashlight.

 
In Nosara there is barely any light at night and I give you the wiggle-your-feet sign. Scary.

If you take a close look at my "preparation list" you will realize...just as I did...that I am not preparing but instead I am worrying.

Of course I have to think about these things but I also have to think about the fun -not stingray related- stuff that I will get to experience.

That is what I tend to do. I focus on things that could go wrong, what to do in case something bad happens and how to avoid uncomfortable situations. I anticipate the negative and put aside the positive. It's not that I'm not aware of the good things but I somehow take them for granted.

I make myself stop when I find myself drifting into over-worrying land -Preppers anyone?-. I tell myself it is ok if I get sting buy a stingray or if my basel drys out -Although Heinz will be held responsible for this- A bad moment doesn't mean a bad day. A bad day doesn't mean a bad month and a bad month doesn't mean a bad year. 

I could go on about this...

An ugly argument doesn't mean you have a bad relationship, an unbearable day at work doesn't mean you have a lousy job, a bad run doesn't mean you suck at running...get the point?

It's not always easy to think this way but I feel it helps me put things into perspective. 

If you find yourself worrying too much while telling yourself you are mentally preparing....you may want to give this a try.

In the mean time tell me...have you ever seen a stingray up close?

Easy and colorful salad

As the week ends I automatically get into "weekend mode" which is a pretty way of saying "I try not to engage in anything that requires too much effort"

I normally don't cook on weekends unless it's a special occasion like...when we realize our monthly eating out budget is gone before the end of the month.

Either because you're in a rush or feeling like you can't be bothered an easy fix is always welcomed. Making yourself a fast but delicious meal is rewarding.

For this salad I used:

• 1 cup of edamame
• 1/2 cup of sweet corn
• 1 fresh ball of mozzarella

The edamame was filling and this salad held up to the I'm-not-hungry-by-3:00-PM challenge. I didn't add any dressing but I'm sure a little olive oil and vinegar would go fine with it.

I hope you give it a try. 

 

 

• A happy birthday •

As you may know it was hubby's birthday on tuesday so...of course my "Happy Thursday" post will be related to a very happy celebration.

Even though we are not big on birthday parties Heinz was up for a little something. He decided he wanted to try out a german restaurant called Jägerhaus (Hunter's house) and boy was it hunter related.

        

Heinz looks so young for someone who just turned 82!!!

Even though I am not a big fan of the animal heads I have to say I liked the restaurant. Heinz definitely liked it too. 

The food, the beer, the cake, the party streamers and the company were the night's highlight.

See...I made a happy list of just one night...I bet you can do it too. 

Think of five things that have made you happy this month, week or day. It's always good to be aware of things we should be grateful for.

Happy thursday!

 

 

• When do you know? •

You know you love someone:

When their birthday seems way more important than yours.

When you have to wake up at 4:00 AM to sing happy birthday because they've got an early call.

When you get them "kisses" as a treat even though you are not that type of girl

 

You know you love someone:

When you feel proud of their accomplishments

and frustrated with their disappointments.

When you share your dreams yet enjoy your day to day.

When you fall in love everyday they walk through the door to end their day with you.

 

Happy Birthday Heinz! 

 

Today is hubby's birthday and we will be celebrating with some german food and tons of chocolate kisses...and real ones as well.