Bedtime Routines

I love sleeping. I'm sure it must be very difficult to comprehend. But it's fantastic. Right?! Although I'm not much of a napper, when I am ready for sleep it's like a light switch. I can be on the couch, in the car, at a friend's house...when it's time for Jessica to go to sleep, nothing will stop me. And recently I've come 'out of the dark side' and switched back to my morning-person self. At first it was due to work schedules but now..my body feels that 5:30/6:00 am is go time; running, blogging, cleaning, watching the depressing news (ok - Boy Meets World),...are all among my favorite morning activities.

But back to sleeping. The zzzzz's - they're wonderful. However not always as easy to come by as we'd like, especially if we have these things called schedules, families, friends, jobs, school, errands, bills, deadlines, blah blah grossness...  :) not the family+friends part obviously. ... actually .. haha yeah the family + friends part goes in there too. We all love each other but if we're honest... c'mon.

But with these things on our mind it can be difficult to relax and unplug and let ourselves get the sleep we deserve and need. I've dabbed in all kinds of trouble with sleeping and have collected a few tricks and routines that help me unwind, relax and slumber soundly at the end of the day. When it's time to flip the light switch.

1. Liquid soothing

 

I have a soft spot for tea and before I found my love (and need) for coffee I drank it several times a day. The Sleepytime tea is one of my favorites and a frequent part of my bedtime routine. 

Another sleepytime drink that I swear by is the SLEEP by Neuro. A function drink that mixes melatonin with magnesium to help you sleep. This stuff knocks me out and I know from family and friends who've tried it that it certainly does its duty.  

2. Bedtime Yoga 

I have recently become a fan of this and haven't been able to stop just for the sake of getting in a small yoga routine on a daily basis. I found an easy routine here, welcome to any level of yoga skill on Pinterest (where else!). Nick and I have a mattress that needs serious replacing, so I can't say it's done much for my back soreness, but adding some of my favorite slow tunes music, some candles and turning off all the lights in the room and this routine helps me let go of all the day's and life's disasters, relaxes my mind, and perfectly prepares me to to curl up in bed and call it a day (if I don't fall asleep in savasana). 

3. Read a book, magazine - or your News Feed if you have to 

Just don't end your night drooling in front of the TV. I am still one of the worst offenders of this (hence I have this list) but it makes such a difference to turn of the box, brush your teeth, and climb into bed (with your steaming hot sleepytime tea) and allowing yourself at least 30 minutes for down time. 

But control yourself and try to avoid this: 

that goes for reading too :)

There are a lot of ways to help you unwind at night and find some z's. Having trouble sleeping, insomnia or night anxiety can have a serious impact on your daily life, immune system, and overall happiness. Remember that even 30 minutes can make a difference and doesn't take too much commitment. Sleep soundly and thank yourself later. 

What are some ways that help you sleep at night? Share the z's

:) 

midnight babble.

I have no idea where the night went. But I'm glad to be snuggled in my bed and half asleep as I'm writing this. I spent the evening packing together my things to spend the weekend in the mountains for my birthday camping trip :) Tomorrow straight after work I will be joining N and some family at Red Feather's and I can't waaaaait. I'm almost as excited as I am, to get to go to sleep right now.

I hope you all have a great rest of your week. I'll see you on the flipside peeps...when I'll be 25! aaah. But first, some pictures for you all from our (as always beautiful) sunshine walk Monday.

tree cotton. 

the most random fire hydrant. 

 

it was a plain jane outfit kind of day. Told you I'd be living in boyfriend jean shorts this summer. Showing off my favorite thrift store find of the season - my gold acorn necklace.


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xo . jess

Hi kids,

I'm so going to regret this in the morning, but tonight when I finally hit my couch with laptop in lap and blanky, mr.ray yellin at the Nuggets game next to me, I felt like I finally woke up. Since Monday morning started! I've gotten so used to loving and filling my weekends with lovely things and great adventures, that I recover Monday - Thursday...and wake up again on Friday! So, as cool as tonight has been, not passing out 30 minutes after watching TV or watching sports with the boys (that could by my problem ;P ) and having even the energy to sit up and blog with you guys at night.

Night posts are the best, duh.

So..I have to admit that I've been very committed to my new tumblr. over there, uploading my outfits I like to call stylish for you to judge and pick apart, but I'm sort of loving it. I include fun accessories, details, and of course, hairdoooos in my posts - don't worry, you can still get your HairToo(s)day fix here every Tuesday coming back next week (!!) - so if you enjoy sillythings such as that then I'd recommend you pay me a little visit in my little closet.

Second, (yes, we covered first somewhere up there) I got stuck in traffic today and got picture happy - I know, so terrible at the wheel! I swear I'm a safe driver! Only when I'm at a standstill...and got this great shot of me looking exactly like my mom when she was my age...or..however that would go, but I love it so I had to share with you, only because it's almost like I kinda lost my babyface...a little? and I look just like my mom. This is pretty spectacular for me. I've looked the same since I was 3 years old. Seriously.

Told you. :) 

But..here is the actual photo that I wanted to share with you tonight. The one where I look exactly like my mother? Ya. Focus here kids :) Alright, here it is. 

crazy huh :) (for those of you that know what my mother looked like at that age or even now :) crazy huh! :) ) 

Happy Friday. 

xo . jess

nonsense.

I know. I owe you a fatty. I've failed you two weeks in a row. I feel muy muy mal amigos. (I've been practicing my Spanish, because we have the sweetest Spanish only speaking lady at work and we always laugh when we try to communicate to each other and she gets so excited when I try to talk Spanish). So - I feel terrible that I failed to post TWO hairtuesdays in a row. 

I owe you a big fatty next week. For now, I have a lovely collection of randoms for you tonight. 

This morning I could not not start my day without a searing fresh hot cup of java from goody thankgodIstillhavegiftcardsfromChristmas 

Starbucks 

Unfortunately, the Starbucks that was on my way to my morning pedi (thank you new boss at work!) downtown Denver, is

so slow.

It's painful. So I'm sitting there, I've already placed my order but two cars in front of me the line has stalled and I haven't paid yet, so I'm in drive-through line limbo and since I'm not the next person up I don't really have to pay attention just yet on when to go. Well, of course I reach for my phone and start to peruse. And since I've sort of sworn off Facebook lately, I ended up in my Camera Shots album and found a shit ton of pictures I've taken over the weekend and forgot to share with you. 

I know (!), I dare I! So here we go. 

I hate when I forget to sneakily tuck my seatbelt under my arm when I'm taking car pictures. (Not that that makes it ANY safer to take pictures while driving. I honestly am usually stopped at a stop light when I take mine.)

You can see a little better in the first picture, but my hair is f.i.n.a.l.l.y. long enough for me to do Milk Maid Braids. This was Saturday  I think, on my way to work. I wore a sear sucker onesie with light grey patterned tights, my navy blue boyfriend blazer, and worn in dark brown motorcycle boots. Combined with my pearlcameolocket jumble of necklaces, it was the perfect girly yet sexy combo and the braids were the cherry on the top. :)

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Sunday night, Oliver was staring at lights on the wall like this for hours!! It's so painful to watch him, but ever since we moved into the little studio basement of my mother's house, he's obsessed with staring at the ceiling and walls for reflections in our phones, computers, it's ridiculous. 

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This was my idea for this week's Hair.Tuesday I think and I was in the mood to try photo instructions this time. 

I wanted to wear a headband this morning, but my hair wasn't staying tamed in anything I had and so I thought "Why not braid it the top of my head?" 

I played with it a couple times, left my bangs and loose ends out and it turned out adorable. 

(Sorry for the grungy white tank. I'm so weird, but I get back in my jammies if they're pretty clean to get ready after I shower :P)

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And lastly, I give you this amazing lady. I went by her website tonight and spend a good two hours totally engulfed in how much I love her, adore her, and would love to be her :)

♥ 

Happy Late Tuesday Night!

xo . jess

whoo. whoo.

The night owl is sitting on my nightstand tonight and not letting me sleep. I'm WIDE AWAKE. You'd think that staying up all night last night celebrating the end of 2010 and welcoming 2011 followed by an entire day of working retail, I'd be moore than happy to get some z's in tonight. 


Well apparently, my mind doesn't feel like it right now. I don't know if it's too many things buzzing around my mind right now. Well, that's not true. I know for a fact it is. I've already bitten the inside of my lips sore tonight just lying here thinking about a million things and I will not get sleepy. Once N started talking in his sleep I switched the TV back on and pulled out my notebook.


I'm so angry, I can't even focus to get my thoughts typed out. Not that I could make any sense of them anyway. I'm the worst person at expressing myself without curse words and tears anyway. I'm quite the emotional drama queen the past couple days and I'd like to think that's not usually like me. As much as I want to get these things off my mind I also don't want to be that girl. The one that uses Facebook or any form of internet combined with "OMG" to 'express herself'. It makes everything feel so melodramatic. 


Alas, I hope you all had a fantastic New Year's Eve. Hope you enjoyed my self pitiful midnight which must be refreshing from all the New Year's optimism floating around out there :) It's possible I will hitch a ride secretly on the back of that bandwagon. For the sake of what little sanity I have left. :) Don't judge me. I do have hilarious pictures from a pretty fantastical new year's eve to post tomorrow. 


For now I think I'm gonna head to Lauren's for some midnight blanks. I am such the procrastinator, aren't I?

xo . jess