“It’s Friday night, and the mood is right! Gonna have some fun, show you how it’s done, TGIF!!!” — that just turned into a Friday flashback, but seriously who else misses Balki, Michelle Tanner, and the Dinosaurs?!?!
Well because it’s Friday I thought I’d share with you some of my most recent favorite things, here goes:
1.) Rock climbing – Dave and I took a break from our gym in Seattle when we were saving for the wedding (plus the vibe at our gym in Seattle changed a bit and we weren’t feeling it), but lately it’s been calling to me. We got a membership at a gym down here and we are super happy with it, in the last week we’ve been 4 times. (picture source)
2.) Kettlebells – the climbing gym has kettlebells!!! The gym at our apartment doesn’t have kettlebells, so I haven’t been able to use them since I was in Seattle. I did this workout yesterday and I was a sweaty happy mess!! Next up is this one. (picture source)
3.) Stop, Breathe, & Think App– I’ve always had an underlying love of meditation, especially after taking yoga nidra, a guided meditation class, some 5 years ago. I haven’t ever committed to continuous practice though, and I realized it’s because I’ve been trying to fly solo and really I benefit from it being guided. After taking the psychology of happiness course (I promise more recaps on that soon) and seeing all the evidence surrounding the benefits of meditation I’ve had my mind on setting up a regular practice. That’s where this app comes in, you start by taking a deep breath and “checking” in with how you feel physically and mentally. After your check in they suggest different meditations to try (from “body scan” to “gratitude”). They are wonderful, I especially like the “change” meditation. I even purchased a couple extras, including “sleep.” It has really helped me to slow my mind down before bed, and the other day Dave was a little upset and he tried the “change” meditation and afterwards he said he felt way better.
4.) Meditation spot – to go along with #3, I felt like I needed a special place to do my meditations. I set up these Buddhas and candle and when I start my session I light the candle it definitely sets the mood….for meditation that is ;P
5.) Old journals – I’ve been going through my journals from young childhood all the way up to my early twenties and it has been such a wonderful blast from the past. I’m realizing that my blog/instagram/facebook are my new age ‘scrapbook.’ In the journals I’ve seen pictures (which now end up on instagram/blog), narratives about what was going on in my life (now on the blog), and music lyrics (my friends may not like it but I’m always posting lyrics on facebook). Making scrapbooks was always a cathartic activity though, and I often think about getting back into it, maybe one day.
6.) Coloring – I bought this at Fireworks Gallery (love that store) in the Seattle airport for the flight back to LA. In addition to passing the time on the flight, it’s been such a relaxing thing to do when I’m waiting for appointments or watching Dave surf (it’s been a scootch to cold for me to go in, I know, I’m a weenie).
7.) Seeing this little guy when I’m baking/cooking. For some reason he loves to go between peoples legs when they’re standing, and it’s so adorable. You would assume it was to catch food, and I’m sure that’s part of it, but he does it in the morning when I’m standing in the closet picking out my clothes too.
Well that’s it for this Friday, have a good weekend!
Be well.
The Art of Running in the Rain 
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