Feel beautiful everyday

Yesterday I did the first day of the couch to 5K running program – I used to run, and started running using this program. I haven’t been running in more than a year, and so I think I need to start very slow… Exercize in the morning makes me feel more confident – and a big part of beauty is confidence :)

And today I am wearing pretty underthings.

to try and write one thing I’ve done every day this week towards this goal. Sunday night … I am drinking leek soup (a la French Women Don’t Get Fat) for dinner, and will take a bath or a shower and go to bed at a reasonable time. Rested women are beautiful women… :)

First night went well. I made some simple dinner, mostly only ate until I wasn’t hungry anymore. I did bake some cookies – healthy cookies (no fat ?) and ate one. I wonder why I did that? It wasn’t something I needed to do, and eating cookies doesn’t make me feel beautiful. I think it was comfort-related.

But, I did take a quick shower, dress in my robe, and crawl into bed at about 8. I read for a little while, and then just lay there, breathing, for a while. I think I had my lights out and was asleep by 9. I must have needed it. Lets hope tonight goes just as well…

Things have been pretty crazy the past few months. I unexpectedly got pregnant, then adjusted to the idea and was starting to welcome the little one when I had a miscarriage, then it became clear that my nice transition from one job to the next was not going to happen and I’ve gone into scramble-jobseeking-mode. Due to hormones-gone-haywire from the miscarriage my skin has been breaking out horribly for the past 4 months or so, and I’ve been stress-eating and have gained a little weight. All at the same time I’m so stressed out I can barely sleep… all of these things add up to not feeling so beautiful.

SO, with that said, I’m recognizing this and am going to try and start feeling a little beautiful every day again. I think I’m going to start this with an evening routine involving either a shower or a bath, getting dressed in a nice nightgown, and some evening reading before bed. I have been watching netflix movies, but honestly I feel like watching movies actually stresses me out rather than relaxing me. So, bath/shower, jammies/robe, reading. In bed by 10. Thats the plan… We’ll see how it goes tonight. :) I think I just need to start treating myself a little more gently, and that will help a lot.

.. is getting a really good night’s sleep. I wake up feeling good, refreshed, sometimes pleasantly stiff… getting a good night’s sleep tonight is how I am going to make myself feel beautiful tomorrow.

What makes me feel beautiful?

- swimming and yoga

- having a haircut or a facial

- smelling fresh flowers

- having a good night’s sleep on clean sheets and waking up in the morning feeling refreshed

- wearing perfume

- spending time with friends