Thursday, August 4, 2016

A Little Extra Sleep, A Lot of Good

I'm in a great mood today, maybe because I had a little extra sleep (and cuddle time with the hubby) this morning. Instead of my usual workout, which can last anywhere from 60-90 minutes, I did a short Jillian Michaels video and ran with Norman outside. It was a quick workout, but I think I needed the extra sleep more than the extra time in the gym. As people tend to say: Listen to your body!


If you need to squeeze a workout into 30 minutes, I highly recommend two videos from Jillian Michaels: Ripped in 30 or 30-Day Shred. As Jillian likes to say, there are no excuses; you can find 30 minutes to exercise. Working out is not only good for the body, but it's good for the mind.

After George passed away, I was a wreck. I didn't want to do anything -- even exercise. But when I finally got myself up and at the gym again, I found that I did feel better after a workout. The endorphins put you in a better state of mind, and you will feel your confidence increase as you see your body become toned and lean. I know I don't have children and that many people have crazy, hectic, busy lives, but I think exercise is greatly underrated as an essential part of daily life.

This dress was a good choice for today, mainly because Chapin was working from home this morning. There are two buttons in the back of this dress that I can't quite reach on my own!

Dress: BCBGMaxAzria Ericka Grommet Fit and Flare Dress

The dress is still available at just two online stores:


I bought the dress during the recent Amazon Prime Day, which I tend to call "Christmas in July." So many retailers took advantage of people's "summertime shopping spirit" with sales of their own. It's amazing the influence that Amazon has on online shopping behavior.

The dress actually reminds me of an outfit I wore back in 6th grade, from a store called 5-7-9. I am not sure this franchise still exists - I believe it was bought or taken over by another brand called Rainbow - but I have fond memories of going there on special occasions to pick out "cool" outfits for school and social events. The outfit I'm thinking of was a black jacket and skirt combo, and there were large gold grommets on the jacket. I'm sure my family remembers it!

Sandals: Jimmy Choo Bronx Black and Gold Buckle Sandals

These sandals are no longer available, but here is a similar style.