Change One Habit A Month. This Month: Using Tableware

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I've subscribed to the No Meat Athlete blog by Matt Frazier almost since he started it. It's where I built my knowledge base on how to fuel my body for running while remaining true to my vegetarian roots.

Over the past couple of years, Matt has branched out from what used to be primarily running and vegetarian cooking advice to more overall lifestyle advice. (I use the word "advice" hesitantly, as Matt is very "do what works for you" in  his approach to most everything and "advice" always sounds preachy to me.) I was particularly taken with his most recent post on How I've Begun Changing My Life, One Habit At A Time. 

 

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Mom Diaries: Memorial Day Bathroom Painting

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The "BEFORE" shotAcross the nation today, people will celebrate and honor the fallen and serving members of our military. Some will hold cook outs with family and friends while others slip off to the beach or even enjoy the novelty of a simple hike or walk to reconnect with nature. How, you might ask, will I celebrate this momentous day of recognition?

I'll paint my mom's bathroom. 

Hey--we each do what we can in our own way. Mom has been wanting the room painted for some time--ever since we redid her second bedroom, transforming it from a masculine brown and blue bedroom into what she now calls "The Rose Room." She does her writing and knitting in there and it's her favorite room in the house.The Rose Room

We almost had to twist her arm to pick out the paint color. She kept hemming and hawing, asking if the color was too bright or too this or too that. She kept asking what I thought of it and it took awhile to convince her that (for this one time only) what I thought didn't matter.

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Caffeine & The Early Morning Workout

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I count my blessings I've never been one of those people who has to rely on caffeine to get going in the morning. Although I drink my weight in coffee each day, it's all decaf. When (highly caffeinated) friends blink in astonishment and ask, "Why bother?" I don't have a good answer other than I find the smell comforting and I like sipping from a piping hot mug of coffee while I work. One too many "Special Tasters Choice Moments" commercials in my childhood, I'm sure. 

Typically, I drink one cup of caffeine coffee a week. That would be on Saturday morning before my long run. My hope is the unexpected caffeine powers me through my run and I think for the most part it works.

What's happening lately, however...

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Smug Marrieds: Fun Fridays

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It's almost time for summer hours for Blair. This means longer work hours Monday - Thursday but the entire company takes Fridays off for the summer. We love summer hours. Blair already works the "longer" hours schedule anyway, so it's like a free Friday bonus. 

The last couple of years, we haven't done a lot with free Fridays. For the most part, they were spent doing normal life stuff - yard work, home repairs, maybe a lunch out but nothing major. This year, Blair--and by proxy, me--are determined to do better. 

Blair was typing away on his laptop the other morning when I sat down next to him. "Watcha doing?" I asked. 

"Planning our Fridays," said Blair. "I'm not going to waste them this year. I've got a whole list of things lined up for us to do. Want to hear them or would you rather be surprised?" 

 

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