Sleep Remedies

Sleep, something that has always come pretty easily to me has become something of a challenge lately. I don't really know the cause… there could be lots of reasons why, but mostly I think it's the constant shift work that messes with my rhythm. Sleeping during the day is quite possibly impossible… a vocal babe downstairs and radiant light shining in through every crevice of your window (despite black out curtains). At night, there is a small window of time, usually between eight and nine PM that I feel more than ready to doze off, but (for some ungodly reason) I usually push through the exhaustion and end up getting a second wind that leads me to a bedtime of near midnight or later. I feel tired lately. I look tired lately. So, needless to say, I am working on my sleep regimen. Below are a few things that have helped me to fall asleep more easily and to rest more soundly.

1. Step away from the coffee! I am a serious coffee lover, it's an addiction for sure. I truly love a cup (or two!) of french-pressed goodness every morning, and sometimes in the afternoon. I have been finding that if I drink any coffee after 3 pm or later, sleep is more difficult for me. So I am trying (keyword, trying) to kick this bad habit. I think more than anything, the cold weather has me craving something warm, so I sometimes replace my afternoon cup of coffee with a decaf tea (I got this adorable loose-leaf infuser for Christmas from a friend, and I really dig it.)
2. Read. I HAVE to read. Late-night screen time, whether it be my phone, computer, or TV, just doesn't work for me anymore. I sleep much more soundly when I read a bit of a good book before bed. I just recently read "The Girl on the Train" and I recommend it. I read it in under a week. It was pretty dark, sinister at times, but overall very entertaining. (Please send any recommendations my way, I am always looking for a new, good book!)
3. Brookstone Nap Mask and Blanket. My MIL got me a this set for Christmas. She knew I had been having sleep trouble, so this was such a thoughtful gift. The sleep mask alone is such a game changer, but when you top it off with a plush blanket of goodness… I mean how could you not sleep well? This little duo is worth the investment.
4. Move the iPhone out of reach! My name is Laurie, and I have a social media addiction. Scrolling through my IG account is usually one of the first things I do when I wake up. But I have found, that once the screen lights up, game over. Sleep no more. Self-sabotage. So… the only way to kick this habit was to move my phone out of reach, across the room. It makes a difference, I swear.
5. Melatonin. I didn't want to resort to supplements, but sometimes you just gotta bring in the big dogs. I only ever take melatonin to help me sleep after nightshift. I have found that it doesn't help me so much with the falling asleep, but more with the staying asleep. I wake at least once during the day, usually around noon to pee, and I always struggle to doze back off after that. Much of my sleep after the pee wake-up call is restless and light. But since taking melatonin, I have been able to doze right back off, post-pee, into a deep REM sleep that makes me feel so much more refreshed come 3pm. (Lots of pee-talk there, sorry about that.)

Anyway, I don't know if you struggle from sleep deprivation like I do, but if so, maybe these little tricks will help you along the way. Good luck and rest well.

Just a few thoughts on the Oscars...

This might be the first year in all of history that I managed to stay awake and see the entire Oscar show. It was pretty entertaining.

I found Neil Patrick Harris' host performance to be relatively underwhelming. Other than his opening number, he really didn't blow me away. What happened to Ellen? Now she was spectacular. Let's get her back on board.

And how about Lady Gaga. Holy smokes, she can actually sing?! Who would have thought. She seriously nailed her performance.

Naomi Watts. What in God's name was she wearing? A tube top… a dress? I don't care what E! Fashion News reports, her dress was atrocious and I was pretty bummed because I normally really like her fashion choices.

Graham Moore, the winner of best adapted screenplay, gave the most incredible speech about his personal struggles. "Stay weird, stay different." Now that's how do it Hollywood. Put your silly lists of names away (those people know you appreciate all their support) and use your limelight to say something extraordinary.

Jennifer Anniston is like Benjamin Button… she just keeps getting younger and more beautiful as time goes on. Her body is insane and she looked phenomenal last night.

Was it me or did Dakota Johnson seem like she was on drugs?

John Legend's voice is as smooth as butter. His "Glory" performance with Common was really moving. And their acceptance speeches were even more inspiring. Good for them.

And finally, I am so happy for Eddie Redmayne and Julianne Moore. I can't wait to see both films. I actually just downloaded Still Alice onto my kindle. I'll let you know how it is.

Anywho, that's my two cents on the Oscars. I hope you had a relaxing weekend. Happy Monday folks!

Past & Future

2014 was such a triumphant year for us. Things started out a bit rocky. In early January, Alec ended up in the emergency department at CHOP with fluid in the lungs, a minor complication from the open heart surgery he had in November. At the time, I feared little ED visits, such as that one, would become a regular thing for us. Little did I know, that we would make it through the rest of the year without one single hospital visit. Alec has surpassed my expectations. He has reached every milestone right on target and a few slightly ahead of the curve. He is such a bright, charismatic little fella and I feel so proud to be his mama each and every day. Every month gets more exciting, more fun and I can't wait to see what amazing things he learns to do in 2015.

Last Winter was a long one. We had an abundant amount of snow. Every time it felt like things were warming up a tad and an outdoor walk was in our future, we got another Winter beating. We lived with my parents from January to early May and I will admit I thoroughly enjoyed the company. But despite the help, those days were long, and sometimes just downright hard. Alec was still so little and with all the snow it was a challenge to get out the house. There was also little we could do when we did get out because of Alec's condition. The risk of exposing him to germs was just too high. Alas, we spent much of our time tucked away at my parents and we both went a bit stir crazy from time to time. Lots of tears on both ends. But once Spring had finally sprung, life got real good again. We moved into our new home and getting settled kept us very busy. Along with many household projects, we spent many of our warm days outdoors…lots of long walks, and fun-filled beach visits.

Come Fall, we had the heart walk and Alec's first birthday to keep us busy. Followed by the Halloween Sea Witch Festival, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. It was a good year overall, probably one of my best yet. I am so looking forward to what 2015 has in store for us.

Last January, I made a list of a five goals for the year. I did an okay job with one, two, and five, but I'll be the first to admit that fitness was not made a huge priority in 2014. Keeping active is very important to me, so I did manage to take long walks just about every day that the weather would allow The fresh air really did us some good. For the year 2015, I have decided on a few things that I want to focus on, nothing super crazy, just little things that I feel will improve my life a bit.

1. Say our prayers. I've been wanting to add this to our nighttime routine for some time and we officially broke out our bible of verses about a week ago. Prior to bedtime stories and his 'baba', I read aloud one verse from our bible and we name one person that we would like to pray for. I realize that Alec doesn't quite grasp it just yet, but I want him to grow to be a gracious, thoughtful individual and I definitely think a little prayer could help with that. Plus, I truly believe that prayer is one reason why Alec has thrived so well. He has been surrounded by so much love and so many prayers have been said for our little boy.
2. More Me Time. Attempt to do one thing for myself a week, whether it be exercise, a pedicure, a bubble bath, I honestly don't care. Just do a better job of taking a personal time out here and there.
3. Spend more quality time with those that I love. Not only do I think I could be more present at home with Alec and Kiel (put down the iPhone! walk away from the laptop!) but I also feel that I could do a better job of keeping in touch with many of my friends, some of which live a long distance away. This year I plan to work on all my relationships by being more present than ever. At least, that's my plan anyway.

That's all I got so far. Wish me luck. And good luck to you all on your own resolutions.

THE FUTURE IS SO INCREDIBLY EXCITING. THE WORLD IS YOURS.

Ch-Ch-Changes! Good Morning Beautiful has a new look for the holiday season! Just a few subtle changes to keep things fresh around here. Hope you like the updates as much as I do.

Now, I will confess, I may be a little MIA over the next few weeks. For starters, the holiday season is among us, which means, we are busy busy busy. Tons of fun gatherings to attend and lots and lots of shopping to do! But hey, busy is a good thing right? I can't wait to catch up with family and friends over the next few weeks and ring in the new year with a bang!

Also, I recently purchased and downloaded the PHOTOSHOP + DSLR BUNDLE from A Beautiful Mess. I have been following this blog for quite some time, and I find it so incredibly inspiring. The co-founders, Emma Chapman and Elsie Larson, are seriously dynamite and their careers have really taken off over the last year or so. You can read more about them here. Anywho, I have really been wanting to hone in on my photography skills for quite a while now and when I saw they were offering online lessons for a decent price I jumped on it. Not only is this program affordable, but it's also all online and I can go through each lesson at my own pace (which is a must when you have a wild toddler to look after!). As you can probably see, my photos are quite amateur and I have tons of learning to do. My husband has been super helpful with teaching me the basics of photography and our camera, but I am super excited to truly learn how to take a quality photo in manual mode. I am hoping all this online education will raise the bar a bit and enable me to make some serious upgrades with the blog.

I am going to do my best to stay on top of things amongst all this craziness, but I make no promises. Cheers to the start of an awesome holiday season. I hope you all pack in as much fun as possible!

And one more thing, I recently discovered the Afterlight app and it's an awesome way to upgrade your iPhonography. It offers 56 unique filters, 66 natural textures, and 128 frames. Check it out, it's worth the 99 cents I promise.

Below are a few pictures I took and manipulated with the app.

xo- L

Downton Abbey

I have just recently hopped on the Downton Abbey bandwagon. This show is all the craze right now. Everyone from work and Facebook were talking about it and I was feeling very out of the loop. Kiel and I just recently started watching the first season on amazon prime. In two short weeks, we are now on season 2.. and it keeps getting better and better. I would encourage everyone to watch. The actual show is on its third season, so I'm a bit behind. No spoiler alerts! If you have a love for british accents and a quality period drama, like myself, then this show is definitely for you.

Stickygram

For anyone who loves instagram as much as I do... you can order your photos in magnet form. 

Only $14.99 for a sheet of nine @ Stickygram.

Safety Not Guaranteed

Such a great movie. Definitely worth the watch. Aubrey Plaza is on point. 

And it made me want to visit Seattle even more.

Also, give the soundtrack a listen on spotify. Big Machine is great.

Sandy

It's a slow morning here in the Drake household. Hurricane Sandy is making her way to land and my little family is going to be stuck indoors for days. We are all already starting to get a bit stir crazy. In fact, Kiel and I are about to do some Jillian Michael's Yoga Meltdown. Maybe after we won't feel so lazy.
Work is closed for all but "essential personnel"... I guess that includes me. Boo. I suppose I will have to fight my way through the eye of the storm tomorrow morning at 6am... I am not looking forward to it. Ohhh, the life of a nurse.

“I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery—air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, this is what it is to be happy.” ♥ - Sylvia Plath

There are two people you’ll meet in your life. One will run a finger down the index of who you are and jump straight to the parts of you that peak their interest. The other will take his or her time reading through every one of your chapters and maybe fold corners of you that inspired them most. You will meet these two people; it is a given. It is the third that you’ll never see coming. That one person who not only finishes your sentences, but keeps the book.

Beautiful quote.

The Beginners

"people like us, half of them think it will never work out.. the other half believe in magic"

Interesting Film. Worth a watch.