ChrissyJee

I Started Liking My Sister After 20 Years

My sister is three years younger then me and we are very different. Growing up she was a better student and athlete. I had more boyfriends. I can’t remember ever playing together. I would ask her to sleep in her room to have some company and she always said no. She would read my diary when I left the house. We only knew each other because we were sisters.

Things started to change after I graduated college. I went to visit her at college. That lead to more more visits, more conversations, and we became friends.

Family is a different type of relationship. You are forever connected to the people in your family even though you did not choose them to be in your life. And whatever differences, you are still connected. My sister and I probably would not know each other if we weren’t family. And I’m so thankful that we are. She is one of my best friends. I can tell her anything and when I need someone to listen she is there.

It is so important to our health to have trusted people in our lives. Close relationships with people we can trust makes us feel secure. Studies have shown strong, trusting friendships and a supportive community results in better health, less disease, and longer lives. For me, my family are my closest relationships.

Here are pictures from our visit to Boston visiting my sister.

We took a bike ride on the Minuteman bike trail.

One hot day the kids played with water. Grouchy Husband got in on the fun.

It’s ironic that as I finish writing this blog post, my sister and I made up from a disagreement we had yesterday. That’s the thing about trusted relationships that mean a lot to us in life. We feel comfortable sharing our true feelings even when we are upset because that trust and vulnerability brings you closer.

Cheers to family and sisters,
Chrissy xo

June Birthday Weekend

Blog, Life

June is a busy birthday month for our family. Big O, my mom, and my father-in-law all have June birthdays. And with my anniversary and Father’s Day, it’s a month with a lot of celebration. Normally, I would host one big party to celebrate all these special events, but wanted to be COVID-19-safe, so instead hosted many smaller events. This weekend we celebrated Big O’s and my mom’s birthdays.

Started the weekend with outdoor haircuts.

Big O had a virtual movie birthday party with her best buddies. It was super cute. We delivered microwave popcorn, gummy bears, and ice cream cups the day before so the girls could eat together while they watched *Pitch Perfect 2* on a Zoom meeting.

Then the girls sang “Happy Birthday” to Big O and ate their ice cream cups. It wasn’t the sleepover birthday celebration Big O had been looking forward to all year, but it was just as special.

The next day we had Big O’s best buddy over for some outdoor fun.

And then the next day we had my family over to celebrate Big O and my mom’s birthdays.

It was a seafood party because my mom loves seafood. We ate lobster rolls, king salmon, huge king crab legs, and grilled oysters.

And then ate my sister’s homemade ice cream birthday cake.

And more candles and cake for her birthday day.

It was an endless weekend of fun. Now I’m totally pooped and looking forward to a few days of rest and leftovers.

Chrissy xo

Big O’s Virtual 6th Grade Graduation & Car Parade

Blog, Life

It’s hard to believe it’s the end of the school year, we’ve been in 3 months of COVID-19 quarantine, and Big O (my Oldest) graduated elementary school. We celebrated with a virtual graduation ceremony, car parade, and socially distanced get together. When Big O was born everyone would tell me time goes by fast and it really does. Our relationship is changing as she grows and I’m figuring out in real-time how to be her mom, friend, mentor, ally. I’m so proud of the girl she is and look forward to the lady she will be.

The virtual graduation was perfect. The Principal, Superintendent, and Teachers congratulated and recorded best wishes for the kids. Even on the screen, I was emotional.

Each graduate was displayed with photos from when they were younger. I remember these photos like it was yesterday.

After the virtual ceremony there was a car parade at school.

Teachers handed out a graduation gift bag.

The Principal and teachers greeted and cheered each child in front of the school.

And each graduate took a photo with their mask.

Big O said thank you and good-bye, and we drove away.

COVID-19 has effected all our lives and we will remember this time for the rest of our lives. I’m so grateful for all the teachers and parents involved in creating this special and memorable graduation for Big O.

Chrissy xo

Learnings from my 21 Day Sleep Project

Blog, Health

I just finished a 21 day sleep project where I tracked my sleep each night with an oura ring. This year I’ve put together a 21 Day Habits of Health Project where each month I spend 21 days on a single health habit. We need at least 7 hours of sleep each night to give our body the time to rebuild and restore, clean out, feel rested and have energy the next day. I’ve already done three 21 day projects this year and this one was the hardest. Harder then the 21 Day Big 6 Detox. Many times we sacrifice sleep to get through our never-ending to-do lists and over-scheduled calendars. To make sleep a priority takes effort and priority.

My Sleep Profile

I am a decent sleeper and regularly fall asleep or stay asleep. The biggest challenge with my sleep is going to bed earlier enough to get at least 7 hours of it.

Here is what I learned.

What helped me get enough good sleep (at least 7 hours)

Consistent Bedtime & Routine. The best way to get consistent good sleep (7+ hours) is to create a bedtime routine or habit and train your body to go to sleep each night . The actions in the routine should prepare your body and mind for sleep. Choose actions that are slower-paced, relaxing, and give a sense of closure. Include a warm bath or shower, pamper yourself with a facial mask, calm your mind with meditation or reading, feel a sense of closure responding to any emails or text messages you didn’t get to earlier in the day. I also like to relax watching an exciting or funny and well-written series on Netflix. Set your bedtime at least 7 hours before you need to wake up.
Comfortable and clean sleep environment. My bedroom needs to put me in the mood to sleep. Everything from a firm bed, comfortable bedding, and soft lighting. And my room has to be tidy, it calms my mind when things are in place. I’m all about loungewear and that includes sleeping in comfortable pajamas.
Sleep time indulgences. Even though I know I need sleep, I tend to go to sleep too late because I “just want to finish one more thing on my to-do list” or “just want to watch a few more minutes of a really good show”. I motivate myself to start my bedtime routine by adding little indulgences like a favorite face mask, new pajamas, or a great book.

What doesn’t help me get enough good sleep

Going to bed too late. It’s simple math. On weekdays, I wake up at 6am. If I go to bed later then 11pm the previous night, I won’t get 7 hours of sleep. After my daughters go to bed, I have about 2 hours to clean up, finish up work and my to-do list, and get through my bedtime routine. I can easily get derailed if my kids took a little longer to go to bed, a lot of work to finish or an unscheduled make-out session with my husband. On most nights, I have to work hard to make my bedtime.
Alcohol. I enjoy an occasional alcoholic drink or two with family or friends. As I’ve gotten older, alcohol has effected me differently and I have to be very mindful of the quality and quantity of alcohol I drink. Alcohol does effect my sleep when I am feeling stressed or overwhelmed. If I drink too much or alcohol that is not good quality, I don’t get enough REM (re-energizing your mind) and deep sleep (restoring your body) and get up very early so I feel tired and sluggish the next day.
Stress and Anxiety. I am a decent sleeper and if I don’t sleep well the reason is usually stress and anxiety. Stress effects my breathing and my sleep. When I’m under a lot of stress and anxiety, I get up at 3am and can’t go back to sleep.

I can’t remember the last time I slept this much for 21 days and it felt so good. I thought about my sleep routine and schedule each day and I know I need to make it a priority in order to get at least 7+ hours of sleep. This taught me sleep is absolutely necessary for good health.

Chrissy xo

Winter Break at Stowe, VT

Blog, Travel

For Winter Break from school, we are not a family that escapes to sunny beaches and clear blue oceans. We go to the mountains and go snowboarding. For the second year in a row, we went to Stowe, VT. We love Stowe, VT.

On the way to Stowe, we always stop at Simon Pearce in Quechee, VT to eat, shop, and watch the glassmakers at work. I first visited Simon Pearce over twenty years ago. I knew when I had my own home, I wanted it filled with Simon Pearce so I registered there for my wedding. Everytime we are in VT, we stop in for a delicious meal and visit.

Gorgeous day for our Simon Pearce visit. Coming outside for some sunshine and to see the frozen waterfall.

Waterfall was frozen but the river was running.

We had a fantastic lunch at the restaurant, The Mill at Simon Pearce.

And had a great table by the window with a view of the waterfall.

Then we headed to Stowe, settled in and did a little self-care with charcoal masks from Beautycounter.

We love staying at The Lodge at Stowe. It’s at the base of the mountain and after a long day riding, it’s so nice to give your snowboard to the ski valet, grab a couple apres ski drinks at the Whistlepig while the kids ice skate and then walk to your condo to make a simple dinner and watch a movie. Snowboarding vacations are not the most relaxing so I like to stay on the mountain and have a kitchen to reduce travel time and maximize relaxing time.

For meals, I like to make breakfast and dinner and eat lunch on the mountain. It gives me more control of the food my family eats and I can make sure we are eating vegetables which can be hard to find eating at restaurants. One night we had gluten-free ravioli, Applegate hot dog, and organic broccoli.

One morning we had mashed sweet potato, sauteed kale, and sugar-free pasture-raised bacon. One of our favorites.

This year was the first year the girls stayed with us all day and didn’t have snow school. I love that we have a family sport we can do together and stay active in the winter. The snow was great at Stowe.

Cheers to active family vacations,
Chrissy xo

21 Day Habits of Health Project

Blog, Health

One of the best ways I’ve been able to support my health is to create everyday routines and habits around the five pillars of good health: diet, relationships, exercise, sleep, and managing stress. There is a lot to accomplish each day between work, home, and being a mom, and I reserve my brainpower for the things that require high levels of creativity and thoughtfulness. For daily routines, I want to be like a robot where I do them with little to no thought, and they become health-centered habits.

The 21 Day Habits of Health Project (21DHOHP) is an intention to try a single health-centered action for 21 days each month. According to the researchers in a study in the European Journal of Social Psychology, 21 days is within the timeframe to form a new habit . Each month I pick a single action that supports the five pillars of good health: diet, relationships, exercise, sleep, and stress management. For the actions my body responds positively to, I’ll work to include them into my daily routines and habits.

Diet. Food provides our organs and systems the information and ingredients to work properly. Nutrient and mineral rich foods gives our body functions the information to grow, restore, and maintain. When our bodies are nourished properly, we physically and mentally perform at our best, we feel good, have the energy to do the things we want to do, we feel happy. During the 21DHOHP, I will try foods and routines that will support my body and health.

Relationships. Close relationships with people we can trust makes us feel secure. Studies have shown strong, trusting friendships and a supportive community results in better health, less disease, and longer lives. During the 21DHOHP, I’m embracing the relationships that elevate me and make me my best self. In the same regard, I will be “detoxing” from my life relationships that cause me guilt, anxiety, or don’t bring out my best self.

Exercise. Regular movement and exercise effects our whole body by keeping our joints healthy, strengthening muscles and building bone, losing and maintaining weight, supporting heart health, brain health, and preventing stress, injury, and chronic disease. Each day we want to be moving (standing and walking ) more and sitting less. 2-3 times each week we want higher-intensity exercise like a run or exercise class and mind-body movement like yoga.

Sleep. We all NEED sleep. It affects productivity, emotional balance, memory, focus, metabolism, immune function, heart health, and even creativity. It’s the only time our body restores and cleans house. Our bodies need 7 – 9 hours of sleep.⁣

Stress Management. Stress is mostly not avoidable in our busy lifestyle managing home and work, and conquering the world. Stress management is the most important of the five pillars of good health because you can change your diet, exercise regularly, but if you aren’t managing your stress you will still be at risk for conditions like heart disease, diabetes, thyroid diseases, auto immune diseases. Stress management is hard. It asks a lot of us. It forces us to slow down, disengage for a moment from the intensity of modern life.