Cozy Morning + Afternoon on the Couch
Post Workout Breakfast - 9:30am
Once in a while, it’s great to have a lazy, but cozy day spent on the couch after a workout. I like having slow days once in awhile because it seems like I never run out of a things to do or work on.
I prefer fasted workouts first thing in the morning when I wake up and try to eat within 30 min after. Call me basic, but I love my avocado toast (with a twist) and I make a pretty good one. 9 out of 10 times, I end up liking my own avocado toast better than ordering it a a restaurant. I try to balance my breakfast with a bit of carbs, protein, and healthy fats.
1 slice whole grain sourdough bread, toasted
1/2 ripe avocado, smashed
1 brown egg, soft boiled or fried sunny side up
Minced purple onion
Red chili pepper flakes
Trader Joe’s EBTB seasoning
Drizzle of honey (optional)
Coffee + Journaling - 10:00am
During Black Friday last year, I bought a milk frother and it has become a highlight of every morning! I’m lactose intolerant and drink nut-based milk. Alternative milk is typically much more difficult to froth, but this frother from Miroco does a great job. It has 4 different froth settings (2 hot, 2 cold) and is really easy to clean up. I love frothing oat milk and pouring it over my drip coffee for that extra bit of luxury. It’s definitely been a game changer.
I started bullet journaling two years ago. Each month, I create a theme (usually inspired by Amanda Rach Lee) that has weekly spreads (more like a daily diary), a habit/mood tracker, three pages for daily gratitude and moments I savor, one page for quotes that I’ve encountered and loved, and a monthly highlights section. It’s been a great creative outlet for me and an excuse to use my colored pencils and markers.
I’m on my third journal! Bullet journaling and mediation in the morning helps ground me and set the tone for the day - I never skip this. From time to time, I like to look back at past months to see how much I’ve grown or accomplished. We live in a world of screens and always connected to our phone and laptops, so I like taking a break to write with actual pen and paper.
Tea + Reading - 10:30am
I try to limit myself to 8oz of coffee every day and only drink it in the morning. After I finish my coffee, I transition to tea - usually a green tea, sometimes black.
I’ve been so busy the last 3 months with work that I’ve had little time to read. I’m part of a book club and the last book we chose was How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. I never got a chance to start this book when work pace picked up, but with MLK Day right around the corner and high praises about this book and author, I’m determined to start this! I think it’s important to understand different perspectives and to continuously self educate ourselves to rid systemic racism.
There’s something special about holding a physical book. I like the way the paper smells and the feeling of turning pages. I feel less engaged when I’m on my Kindle or listening to an audio book. I light my favorite candle to create a cozier atmosphere and I’ll curl up with my book for a few hours.
Lunch - 12:30pm
I’ve been keeping soup from Splendid Spoon in my freezer. They are perfect for days when I don’t feel like cooking much, but still want a healthy option. All of their soups are vegetarian, but since I’m weight training, I eat 110 grams of protein every day. An easy way for me to sneak protein in is adding 120 grams of roasted chicken breast into these soups!
I’m having the garden minestrone today and love the punch of flavor from the tomato base. With my chicken breast added, the macros are:
Fat: 4g
Protein: 3g (soup) + 37g (chicken breast)
Carbs: 11g carbs
I’ve also hopped on the Our Place bandwagon. You’ve probably seen their beautiful Always Pan all over Instagram and I’m waiting for mine to arrive! I bought a set of their bowls to match my pan and I love them! They’re large enough to hold a complete meal and I really like the design. They’re priced at $45 for a set of 4 bowls and I used my $20 off coupon to purchase them.