July 1, 2014 - Brooklyn Active Mama

Do you get enough sleep?

I know it don’t. I am actually not sure where it all went wrong. As a teenager you could usually find me napping after school and on the weekend sleeping in until 12 then going right back to sleep after breakfast. (Oh how I miss those days!)

Now, things have dramatically changed–now that I have a full time job, a full time blog, 2 little humans that depend on me, a husband and so much more sleep seems to take a backseat to everything else. When I talk to my girlfriends we are all in the same boat, sleep deprived but somehow still keeping it together.

This post was inspired by the one and only Ariana Huffington’s interview this weekend at Blogher14. (You already know there is tons more to come on that!) she was interviewed by the one and only Guy Kawasaki and she talked about how important it is for her to get her rest. She gets a minimum of 8 hours sleep per night. She encouraged us to do the same, no matter how busy you are because the brain works better–all the stuff I already know but she already has an empire…I’m still hustling towards mine.

I’m not sure why the first thing I sacrifice is sleep. There have been many nights where I decide that photo editing/emails/TV/cleaning is way more important than rest. It’s that notion of just getting something done, OFF my to do list, that is so satisfying. But how is that good for my health? Especially now that half marathon training has me up at 4:30 am twice a week.

Ariana Huffington suggested having a transition period before bed. A good 30 minutes before your bedtime take the time to meditate, shut off all the screens and get as relaxed as possible. She also suggested a day of digital detox where you leave all the technology alone and rest.

[Tweet “”It’s a delusion that you have to burn out to succeed” [email protected] #blogher14″]

The interview made me step back and reevaluate my own sleep habits. Should I stop and really try to get more zzz or should I keep hustling to get where I need to be? Hmm.

Check out this brief TED Talk from Arianna where she chats about her aha moment, why women need more sleep plus I am kind of obsessed with her accent.

What do you think? Is a normal amount of sleep worth it in the end or YOLO no sleep at all? How many of hours sleep do you get? Do you have a transition period before bed?

Friendship is precious. When you find a friend that you can give your entire heart to without an ounce of reservation you should do all you can to nurture that relationship.

Last week my best friend and I decided to take a full day off from work and spend it with each other. Although we live in the same borough–we have almost opposite work schedules so finding time to chill is an effort.

We decided that we wanted to have the most chill day possible so where else would we go but to the beach? It was a perfect 80 degree day, the sun was present, the breeze was just phenomenal… I strapped on my miraclesuit and made my way onto the hot sand.

You guys know I am always running, running home, running to events, running to the gym and sometimes just plain running races! So to lay down on the beach without not one care in the world was simply awesome.

The best part was the sun on my skin. I must have needed some vitamin D desperately because when I was lying there it almost seemed as if I was being refueled and replenished by that great big ball of fire. While the bestie and I caught up, we both enjoyed just being so close to the water and giving all attention to each other and ignoring everything else.

Did I mention we went to Coney Island? This area has become a bit of a tourist area since my day. Back in the day *only* Brooklyn people would come to Coney Island because only Brooklyn people could survive Coney Island. Now there were plenty of tourist spots and shops–a far cry from what it used to be!

The boardwalk, however, is just as gorgeous as can be.

It was so nice to put life on pause to spend time with my favorite girl. The one who is always there to listen to me moan and groan about pretty much everything, who I can laugh myself silly with and confide my deepest fears to. From being an excellent Godmother to being an even more excellent friend, I am so blessed to have her in my life!

July 2014

The Only Way to Win is to Sleep Your Way To The Top

What do you think? Is a normal amount of sleep worth it in the end or YOLO no sleep at all? How many of hours sleep do you get? Do you have a transition period before bed?

July 2014

The Only Way to Win is to Sleep Your Way To The Top

What do you think? Is a normal amount of sleep worth it in the end or YOLO no sleep at all? How many of hours sleep do you get? Do you have a transition period before bed?

A Bestie Trip To Coney Island Beach

What do you love most about your best friend? Have you been to Coney Island lately? When was the last time you relaxed completely?