Overnight Oats

Overnight Oats

Overnight oats provide an easy way to get a healthy carb boost and provides a satisfying snack or breakfast. It’s also really great for when you are pressed for time in the morning. You can also be really creative with the base and tailor it to suit whatever flavors you like. You can add protein powder, spices, extracts, fruit, nuts - whatever sounds tasty to you.

The base is simply equal parts oats and liquid. The rest is up to you.

Here is my favorite combination:

2 cps oats

2 cps rice milk

1 Tb cinnamon

1 tsp ginger powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 Tb protein powder

3 cups frozen blueberries

Put everything together in a sealed container and put it in the refrigerator overnight. No need to premix. In the morning give it a stir and eat. That’s it. It is so delicious.

I really like Coach’s Oats and I get them at Costco, because when I’m on an oats kick I require a vat-sized container. I’ve tried it with pumpkin filling and pumpkin pie spices - also very delicious. Sometimes I add a splash of flavored creamer, which is also really yummy.

Give it a try and tell me about your creation.

Saying No to Family

Saying No to Family

Several years ago, I practiced a religion that does not celebrate Christmas. Although I am no longer religious, those few years gave me taste of the beauty and tranquility that comes from opting out of stress-filled, obligation-driven traditions. Traditions can be beautiful, and I very much enjoy the sparkling of holiday lights and the festive decorations adorning my neighbors’ homes during this time of year. I am also intrigued by the multitude of ways that people of all religions and beliefs celebrate their holidays. For me, I choose to not celebrate the holidays.

The single most difficult part of this decision is trying to explain to family (year after year) that I do not wish to participate. I have been opting out for over ten years, but lovingly declining family requests and parental pressure continues to be a challenge. The hardest part is trying to communicate that my desire to do my own thing on those days is in no way a reflection of my love for my family. I am not rejecting their traditions or turning my back on my childhood. It is not a statement about them, and not a judgement about their beliefs or traditions. It has nothing to do with anyone else. 

Saying no to family is not easy. It helps to spend time with them throughout the year and I try make it a point to spend time with them before the holiday or shortly after so that they do not take my absence on specific dates personally. For me, it’s about maintaining peace, following my own beliefs, preserving financial goals and often, using rare days off for adventures, exploration or simply watching movies all day. In the end, I believe that when we are adults, we should be able to do what we want to do and opt out of activities of our choosing. I hope that one day, reminding my family that I love them and making an effort to spend time with them throughout the year will remove the final lingering stress of the holiday season: saying no to family.

Health & Fitness: A Revelation

Two years ago I was on a quest for information to improve my overall fitness and become more well-rounded. I was a chronic runner who tossed in some push-ups and squats before bed, but that was the extent of my strength training. I knew that lifting weights was probably something I should do, but did not really understand its amazing benefits. What I did know was that I couldn’t just keep running miles and miles and expect to get strong, or to develop definition in my upper body. I began to hunt for information in earnest and then I discovered Nerd Fitness. It changed everything.

I learned that even though it felt more difficult to run 10 miles than to do 20-30 minutes of weight training, the weight training sessions would yield better results over the long-term. This just didn’t make sense to me, but I was ready to be more balanced and needed a change. I was eager for a new challenge, so I started following the recommendations on Nerd Fitness. Within a few months I began to see definition in my arms and back. Not only was I gaining some muscle mass (without actually gaining any overall weight), but I kind of felt like a badass. There is something special about moving a lot of weight around - it feels both physically and mentally empowering.

My former routine involved running between 20-40 miles per week and 100 body weight squats before bed. Sometimes, I’d toss in 10 push-ups, often I would not.

Now, I weight train 3 days a week (compound movements for efficiency - around 30 minutes), run for fun a few days a week (rarely more than 6 miles) and do the occasional high intensity interval training (HIIT)...when I haven’t injured myself, that is. It definitely helps to have a partner who likes to do the same things, but even before our schedules aligned, I was comfortable going to the gym alone, once I conquered the initial intimidation of the free weight section. (I highly recommend watching videos to that teach exercises with proper form.) 

In addition to formal workouts, we also walk every day and do fun, but active things during our free time, like ride our bikes or go hiking. I finally feel balanced and consistently challenged. Our routine is never boring and I never dread a workout or a run. I am stronger, leaner and more energetic. I am no longer wiped out for days after a long run and I have more time for all of the other fun things we want to do.

Try it! You’ll be so glad you did.

Check out some of my favorite sites:

Nerd Fitness
Lift Like a Girl
Girls Gone Strong

Triggers

We all have those moments. That twist in your gut or the twinge in your chest that signals discontent. Sadly, we’ve grown so accustomed to them, that we hardly notice when it happens and if we do, we ignore it or worse, fan the flames.

No more. It’s time to be mindful of the triggers that spark the discontent.

Certainly, we cannot remove all of the discomfort from our lives and we wouldn’t want to, really. Discomfort helps us grow, pushes us to recognize when change is needed, provides a signal that it is within our power to take action or let go.

However, when certain triggers do nothing but foment discontent or bring up feelings of jealousy, sadness, horror or despair, and there is nothing to be gained from it, we have to learn to identify these triggers and remove them from our lives. Some are as critical as avoiding an anxiety attack and others as benign as helping us ramp down a shopping habit.

Here is a practical example from my own life. I follow a lot of blogs on various topics; health and fitness, psychology, philosophy, food, humor, personal finance. One of the blogs I follow triggers my “want” button and my “envy” button. The blogger is an adorable woman who makes amazingly healthy food, but once a week she posts about fashion. Really interesting (and expensive) articles of clothing and shoes for both working out and everyday living. The issue is that I don’t want (or need) more clothes. I certainly don’t want trendy clothes and I have a slight obsession with workout clothes and dresses. I am happy with what I own, but the posts of super amazing leggings, adorable backless yoga tops and gorgeous dresses push my “want” button HARD. On top of that, the blogger has a rock solid amazing body. Again, I am quite happy with my workout routine and am content with my physique, but I’m not in my early 30s and don’t have a pre-baby stomach or delightfully round breasts. That’s ok, but it triggers discontent nonetheless. So, I stopped following that blogger. Simple.

There are other examples - removing negative news feeds from Facebook, being mindful of the shows I watch, choosing to redirect conversations that I think are not beneficial. Do you know what I discovered? After a few days, I realized that the twinges of discontent were reduced. Fewer “want” buttons triggered and a reduced number of times that I felt sad, envious or discontent. I’m not advocating sticking your head in the sand and avoiding real problems, but we create discontent where there is no benefit or need. Think of the time we can free up by eliminating those things and focusing on the things that truly matter.

Emulating Protagonists

I love to read. I credit my mother for passing on her love of reading. She is never without a book, sometimes two or three. Mysteries and political dramas are her favorite, and while I enjoy some mystery novels, I prefer those centered around a tumultuous relationship, but one that always works out in the end.  Yes, I know they are formulaic, but there is a certain comfort in that. Even though I know things will work out in the end (except for your novels, Mr. Sparks...shakes my head disapprovingly), I still sit on the edge of my seat, fisted hand to my mouth during the rising action and silently cheer on the protagonist.

I was pondering my love of fiction the other day when I was struck with a realization: strong protagonists have helped me through some very difficult times in my life, they’ve been invisible friends, provided inspiration and have even given me confidence. I also realized that my favorite protagonists have many traits in common.

Strength - I am not afraid to abandon a book that has a weak protagonist for whom I have no respect. My favorite books all feature strong, independent women. Their strength and determination are what keep the stories lively and inspiring. They are not wilting lilies sitting idly waiting to be rescued or “fixed” by someone else. Their determination and independence drives them and when they do find love and companionship, it is always as a complement to their lives. Sometimes this means that they are stubborn and hard-headed, but how else are they going to grow their character?

Individuality - A great protagonist bucks convention. Regardless of the time period, she does not let the societal rules of the day determine her fate. She is a non-conformist who works around the system as much as possible, always guided by her inner truth. She also ignores the naysayers who try to keep her from accomplishing her goals.

Optimism - Despite struggles and hardship, my favorite protagonists maintain an optimistic outlook. They experience dips in their moods and energy, like normal humans, but they always come back to their positive world view and their belief that people are generally good and that life is dependent on a positive perspective.

Good humor - Along with their optimism, these women have a good sense of humor. They can laugh at themselves and appreciate the humor in the situations they find themselves. Their determination and objectives are not approached with a furrowed brow and downturned countenances, but with a grin and a glimmer in their eye.

Kindness - While these strong, determined women will crush their obstacles, they don’t do so at the expense of others. They exhibit kindness, although often not to themselves. They don’t let others take advantage of them, but they care about others and work to make sure that their actions do not negatively impact the innocent.

Adventurous - Many of the books I enjoy have an element of adventure, often in natural settings. My protagonists love adventure. They embrace physical and mental challenges; they are rugged, tough and eager for adventure. They don’t let fear hold them back and they find beauty in every journey.

Passionate - Finally, all of the protagonists that I love best are full of passion. They fully embrace life and squeeze every drop of learning, enjoyment, joy and adventure from their lives as possible. When they love, they love with abandon. They hold back nothing and give all they can and they do this without sacrificing themselves in the process.

These women have been my companions throughout my entire life. They have given me confidence when I lacked self-worth, their examples helped me persevere through difficult times and have given me hope when life seemed very difficult. Reading is more to me than a pleasant pastime; reading is therapy, a support, an escape, a solution, an inspiration, a problem-solver and a friend. The protagonists are my sisters and I am grateful for their presence in my life.

A Letter to Kids about Chores

Dear Children,

Yes, I know that it seems like asking you to do chores is unfair. How astute of you to learn the secret of adulthood - that we birth you little creations only to provide free maid service! How did you guess? Is it because you do such a wonderful job? Perhaps because you perform said chores without being reminded and perform them without complaint? Is it so that we can see the smile upon your angelic faces and watch you go above and beyond the most haphazard attempt to clean all of the unseen places as well? Maybe it is because we never have to repeat ourselves or do the work over again when you leave. Wait, I know! You guessed our secret because of how often we gush over perfectly shiny plates and silverware, lacking chunks, smudges, grease prints and the remnants of yesterday’s lunch. Is that how you guessed?

After all, YOU didn’t put crumbs all over the counters and floors and you certainly don’t launch empty toilet paper rolls into mysterious places around the bathroom (when you actually do solve the complex problem of how to replace the roll). You definitely don’t leave rings of sauce, dressing and mystery goop in the refrigerator, nor do your greasy fingerprints plague every single surface of the house.

Oh you adorable contradictions of delight and madness - none of those things are true. We do NOT make you do chores so that we don’t have to do them (we do them again anyway). We do not enjoy repeating ourselves, listening to you grumble, making you redo things when you do a half-ass job (and even then we only make you redo the worst of the worst).

Here are the real reasons we make you do chores:

So that you will learn to contribute fairly to a household/team.

To teach you responsibility and accountability.

To help you become a reasonably sanitary adult.

So that your future spouse or roommates won’t murder you.

To teach you the benefit of a job well done.

Because you don’t pay rent.

And because you make the biggest messes.

I’ll tell you the real secret of adulthood: We would much rather clean the entire house ourselves, but we choose the harder path: good parenting.

Now come redo these dishes.

Life After a Layoff

Your work does not define your worth.

Intellectually I’ve always known that one’s vocation does not define their value and yet, after several years of performing the job that I created for myself, I realized that I had allowed it to define my worth.

A single mom at a young age, I worked hard to get an education while working full time. I found a way to turn my passion for nature into a lucrative career - a career that embodied this passion by reducing environmental impact, improving people’s lives, spreading education and helping to foster the next generation of environmental stewards. I am the first college graduate in my family and my parents were so proud of each of my accomplishments. My work became what I discussed with family and friends, the essence of what I did, of who I was.

And then it ended. It didn’t come to a screeching halt, but slowly fizzled out as budgets dried up, as department structures shifted and changed. I watched in frustration as my ability to do all of these things slowly dwindled while I was forced to narrow my focus, until finally, the company couldn’t support my level of passion and I was laid off. With the end of my job came a crisis of identity.

At first it was a welcome relief. I could put all of my passion and energy into a new organization, one that would be eager for my knowledge and enthusiasm. I could revolutionize the way they did business, provide opportunities to a whole new pool of eager minds. I could improve a city, help the impoverished and under-represented, and all while helping the environment.

Until one great interview turned into a pleasant, “Thanks, but no thanks.” Then a second interview, then no interviews. One month passed, then two, and with each weekly passage a little bit of my self-esteem left me. I was deflated, frustrated and beginning to panic.

In the midst of this third-life crisis (I’m hopeful for longevity), I faced some family drama which left me mentally depleted. Children on the cusp of adulthood, medical bills, constant worry, and underlying stress as my bank account slowly shrunk and I had all day to ruminate on my worries.

My amazingly supportive partner has kept me sane as I begin to consider work that I thought I had left behind - simple work that will fulfill my need for social interaction, that I can leave behind at the end of the day, that will allow me to be in the world connecting with others without any personal stake. This appeals to me even as I struggle to reconcile that who I am is not what I do. Will I still be able to help the earth, help people, make a difference, be remembered? Is it important? To stave off the anxiety, I return time and time again to The Fifth Agreement, The Power of Now and other books in line with my philosophy. I know in my rational mind that what I DO is not who I AM, but still it persists. The first question people ask when they see me is often, “How is the job search going?” or “So, what are you doing now?” I should respond with my hobbies, activities and our plans for the future, but I’m programmed to think they are talking about my vocation (and they probably are) and so I avoid social interactions now too. I avoid the neighbors, I don’t reach out to friends for fear of these questions and my inability to answer them.

I know I am not alone. I also know that I will emerge from this transitional time a more peaceful human, a better person, a more grounded human. Each day presents internal conflict between my ego, my emotions and my intellect. Many days my rational mind prevails and I enjoy a day filled with peace, enjoyment of my surroundings, and productive activities. Other days I am derailed by frustrated boredom and a desperate attempt to be useful and productive. My journey to a more zen-like human is not complete, but I see progress every day. We are NOT our work. Our value and worth are not determined by the activities that pay the bills - even if those activities embody your values. You are. That is enough. I tell you that and I will keep telling myself the same.