This morning, at 5 ‘o clock sharp, my alarm went off with a buzz. Sighing at the world still dark around me, I put on a hoodie and made the trek downstairs to work out for the morning. A couple of weeks ago, I said to a friend of mine that, in a perfect world, I would be able to wake up at 5 in the morning and work out. Now I was doing it. You wouldn’t believe just how difficult it is to be up that early, least of all doing stretches, blocks, kicks, punches, and a fast-paced walk on the treadmill. You start to sweat much quicker than you would later in the day, and the 80s music playing on the radio doesn’t seem quite as motivating.
In short, it was a bit of a struggle to get it done, but an hour later, after I popped in and out of the shower, I finally began my morning with two pieces of bread covered with butter and a hot cup of tea. That’s when I knew it was worth it. Breakfast seemed a hundred times yummier after the workout.
In the last week before classes start, I seem to have picked up a couple new (but very good) habits. One is making jello. Some of you may know about my recent escapades in jello making… and let me tell you, it is heavenly. It was my mom’s idea to buy little Gladware cups and the powder, as a way of saving money (and not getting a $4 six-pack every week). I am addicted, not only to eating the jello (and let me tell you, is it delicious), but making it. It’s so simple, and the jello is healthier. No more high-fructose corn syrup for me.
Another habit I’ve picked up is planning dinners for the week in advance. This past Sunday, my mom and I sat down, wrote a list of all the dishes we usually eat. Then, we saw what we had in the fridge, and used a cute template I found online to put on the fridge with the meal plan. It looks so cute and organized that I just know we’re going to keep using it. It also lets us introduce new recipes into our day-to-day, which is exciting. Not only does it allow for new tastes and more variety, but there is a chance a recipe can get an A+ from the family and be integrated as a new dish. So I’m very excited about that as well…seeing as it gives me a chance to learn to cook more interesting things. This week, I will be cooking Red Lentil Soup (tomorrow, actually) courtesy of a recipe I found at 101 Cookbooks (http://www.101cookbooks.com/). On Saturday, I will be making Heavenly Pie, also from that lovely site, so I am excited! I hope I’ll be able to document the process and get a good grade from the taste-testers. 
In the last couple days, I’ve been realizing that a little extra planning added together with a little love and care creates a good day for all. Sometimes, taking a couple minutes out of the day to just make sure the sink is clean can make you happy (or maybe that’s just a little bit of OCD talking 
), and making dinners together with the people you love is so fun and fulfilling… I love it!
It seems I’ll be yawning a bit today, but my day at work will be a little shorter so I hope that I will be able to get home and paint or read a little bit before I will no longer be able to keep my eyes open. Going to bed at 9PM sounds just fine right about now…
