"So wake up, wake up, wake up all you sleepers, stand up, stand up, stand up all you dreamers, hands up, hands up, hands up all believers take up your cross, carry it on."On the relatively calm sea-shore that is my little group of lifestyle-blogging friends, the topic of Breakfasts has been frontward in our minds. Jenny of Adonis Ephemeral spoke on the importance of starting your day off with a proper roundhouse kick of protein and fresh produce. On Instagram, Carmel , Jenny, several other friends and I have a sort of on-going breakfast contest. Who can eat the best and brightest breakfast and post a photo of it before the others. Actually, we inspire each other to new heights of healthy breakfasts and I'm such a foodie that I honestly look eagerly for Jenny's latest wacky creation. This whole conversation has got me thinking about my morning routine and why I get up two hours before leaving for work."Wake Up" All Sons & Daughters
To someone who is not a morning person, the idea of setting one's alarm (and responding to it) at 6:30 when one doesn't have to leave the house until 8:30 is pure madness. I know. I had this conversation on Thursday night with my sister who, God bless her, manages to wake up twenty minutes before go-time and still look fabulous walking out the door. Believe me, I tried. I tried waking up at 7:30, doing a ten-minute workout, putting myself together, eating breakfast, and leaving. I even got to work on time most mornings but I was harried in spirit. I didn't feel relaxed. I felt late. I felt like there was absolutely eight-five-million things I had forgotten to do or take or remember before leaving the house. I couldn't very well meddle with work times so I began to fiddle about with my wake-up call. The magic number revealed itself: two hours.
At first it felt like an extravagance. Two hours. Who needs two hours to get ready in the morning? But I began to realize something about myself: these two hours were a strategic move. With two hours, I have leisure time. I can wake up, check the notifications on my phone, get out of bed, and get ready without stabbing my eye with the mascara wand in my haste. I have time to take a shower or if dry shampoo is all that's called for, I can spend extra time on my eyeliner. I can choose my outfit slowly (because I always forget to pick it out the night before) and read my Bible. I head downstairs at 7:30, wide awake and feeling fresh. If the weather is amenable (and I can stand many varieties of weather), I take the dog and get out for a walk. At this time of year the briskness of the dawn hour drives me to walk even faster. In half an hour I can manage at mile and a half, which is really nothing to sneeze at. I get home with half-an-hour to spare and am able to fix myself a thoughtful breakfast and a cup of tea. Favorite breakfasts include:
cranberry-almond quinoa
hummus spread on sprouted grain toast & fruit
avocado & olive oil on sprouted grain toast
plain greek yogurt with all-fruit jelly & granola
one easy-over egg on sprouted grain toast & a kiwi
halved avocado filled with greek yogurt & bacon crumbles
something brilliant leftover from last night's dinner
sliced tomato, sliced cheese, & a handful of raw nuts
"omelette eggs": scrambled eggs with mushrooms, onion, & peppers
Meat is an awesome thing to have at breakfast, but when you live in a large family, there is usually very little of it leftover outside of pre-existing meal plans. If there is leftover chicken breast or salmon or roast, I will add that to my breakfast because I like to get protein outside of dairy sources and at work, dairy sources are the main protein option.
While I eat breakfast, I will usually finalize lesson plans or get in some reading time. By the time 8:30 rolls around, I am fully awake, in a bright mental state, and feeling ready to attack whatever the day brings me. Even if it's Monday.
Amen and hallelujah. People at school complain to me all the time of tiredness from early rising, but it's my opinion that they would be less tired if they got up earlier. Besides, fashion & makeup take time and little brain power - and are the only thing I want to do just after waking up. And it feels luxurious. And I love luxurious. ;D
ReplyDelete(This of course only applies on school/work days.)
I have avocado on toast quite often, but usually with lemon juice, salt & pepper - I'll have to try olive oil! I also love a bit of hummus underneath the avo, from time to time.
I like to get up about two hours before I leave . . . well, at least an hour and a half. So right now I am operating off of five hours of sleep. But anyway. Yeah, I do not like feeling rushed. I need to have my outfit all put together, my hair and make-up done, my jewelry on. and eat breakfast. I pack my other meals the night before to avoid feeling rushed. I like this breakfast talk because I need to branch out beyond eggs or the occasional yogurt.
ReplyDeleteAll those breakfast options sound good! And good point about the pace and leisure of the morning. If I got up with my alarm I would actually have time to write in the morning.
ReplyDeleteYour breakfasts sound good. And your mornings productive. I wake at six on weekday mornings, but always end up spending the time jogging, only to come home half an hour before work. I then spend that half an hour eating while getting dressed, and therefore never get too creative with outfits. I'm trying to work on that, but usually get sidetracked with editing and writing.
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