Yoga Class, Yoga Club, and a Tiny Bit of Not Yoga

It's 3:40 on Saturday afternoon. We're done with our swim meet (these 5:30 a.m. Saturday swim meet wake-up calls after a week of ALL the yoga and work and none of the sleep are just exquisitely painful), I've run all the errands, dinner is prepped for tonight (my parents are staying over on their way to Colorado!), the house is clean, and all the laundry is done. The Great British Baking Show is on, James is napping (as is the bulldog), and the kids are all watching Goosebumps 2 in the other room after cleaning their own rooms to my ("impossible") level of satisfaction. I should absolutely attend the 4:15 yoga class in 20 minutes because I missed yesterday, but there's an 85-100% chance I will still be sitting on this couch when that class begins, looking much like Maggie when I "caught" her on the couch earlier this week.

This is strictly NOT allowed. She looks super worried about being caught doesn't she? And since can't hear anything, it was a good 10 minutes before she realized she had been. But once I (gently) gave her the (not at all) rude awakening she deserved, I believe I made myself VERY clear (to the deaf dog) on the couch/house rules. As you can tell by how I found her at 6:15 a.m. Tuesday morning.

Duly chastened. Feels terrible.

Tuesday night began week 2 of yoga teacher training and it is SO MUCH. So much work, knowledge, inspiration, sweat, exhaustion, work, knowledge... It's a lot. I'm fitting in extra yoga classes everywhere I can and snapped this pic on Tuesday as I ran in to a lunchtime class because I was wearing a top my mom bought me and a necklace from my sister and I always love to show them how I love the things I've received. Plus, despite the fact that I'm sweaty and exhausted 50% of the time, I've been really good about following my skincare routine for the last few months and I feel like I see results? I'm the oldest person in my teacher training by at least 10 years, but feel like maybe I look like it's only 5? Or maybe I'm just bleary eyed from exhaustion...

Regardless, the top and necklace are great and despite being gifted about 5 years apart, compliment each other perfectly.

[Author's note. It's now 4:15. Yoga is starting and I'm still on the couch. I have no regrets.]

This was my car at 7:10 a.m. Wednesday morning:

- Jacket to wear over my dress to pretend it's a suit for my video conference presentation to the full Commission in DC
- Heels to switch out for the flip flops I was wearing in the car
- Regular pink purse
- Gym bag with three sets of yoga clothes and two bags to store sweaty clothes for the two evening yoga classes + teacher training I had on the schedule
- Blue-ice filled mini cooler with the homemade protein power balls I brought to eat between work, double yoga classes, and teacher training
- Lulu bag filled with teacher training journals, workbook, homework, and required reading
- Yoga mat
- Giant water bottle full of ice
- Hot tea

I left home at 7 a.m. and got back at 11 p.m. It was quite a day. But my recommendation was approved by the Commission and we filed our action in federal court, which is always exciting. I took a picture of my outfit because I was wearing my grandma's pearl earrings and my aunt/godmother's pearl ring and I love showing my grandparents how they and my Aunty Mary are part of my big moments at work.

I survived my double yoga classes (we have to attend 60 in addition to the training sessions so I'm trying to squeeze them in wherever possible, and after I realized last week that I would only pass James and the kids in the driveway on Wednesdays because their swim practice is later, I'd just double up with class that night and not come home at all) and then the training was a 3.5 hour lecture on yoga history and philosophy. I don't want to shock anyone, but yoga has a lot of both of those things.

New nightly routine

Overall between the classes and the trainings I wore 12 pairs of yoga pants in the last week, so I decided to treat myself to a few more options. On our first night of class I'd complimented one of my classmates on her killer yoga ensemble. She said she got it through Yoga Club and sent me a referral code. I placed an order immediately (I love surprise boxes of things in the mail!) and my box was delivered on Thursday.

Y'all, for all my struggles and successes with Stitch Fix (usually only liking a few things, if any, but then absolutely LOVING those few things), I LOVED my first Yoga Club box. Maybe because exercise wear is just less fraught with fit and style issues and I'm more flexible on the overall look, but I really loved all 3 pieces and it was so fun to be surprised by them.

If you want to try it (and that link is a referral code that gets you $20 off your first box, and me $10 off my next), you take a style quiz with your sizes and preferences. I liked that you selected both your preferred types of items (capris v. full length leggings, loose v. fitted, short sleeve v. long sleeve, etc.) along with your preferred styles and patterns (you rank a bunch of different sample outfit collections). You choose whether you want a 2-piece or 3-piece outfit (I went three piece: bottoms, sports bra, and top) and how often you want to get a box delivered (you can cancel/pause/skip a shipment later).

I was at first surprised at the solid colors- I'm usually a crazy pattern pants person, but the leggings are super smooth and a rich navy blue and I love that they have pockets. I also realized I didn't own a single pair of solid color leggings, so this will actually be a nice addition to my wardrobe (which is one thing I also loved out the Stitch Fix subscription; it made me add staples to my wardrobe I never seek out on my own, I'm like a magpie when I shop, but instead of shiny I want color and pattern). The strappy sports bra was cute and comfortable and the short-sleeve top with keyhole back will be great to also wear out on errands and trips.

The color also perfectly matched a pair of patterned leggings I'd picked up from Lulu earlier that afternoon!

Maggie approves.

The quality of all three pieces was really high and I'm excited to have them. The total cost for my box was $60, since I had used the referral code. My next, full-price box will be $80 for the three pieces. The price tags add up to $202, and while I wouldn't necessarily have spent that, I do think $60-80 is a good deal for 3 pieces of high-quality athletic wear, particularly three pieces that I didn't have to pick out or go get. So I'm looking forward to the next box!

Other things I was looking forward to included a margarita meet-up with mama friends on Friday evening. Work had been crazy, yoga had been crazy, I hadn't had a grown-up drink since the Friday before and I was missing my mamas.

We got to chat and sweat and sip beverages on the 100 degree patio while our kids occupied other tables and ate queso for dinner. Afterward, two friends had to go home, but my bestie Kim came over and we took our inaugural dip in my pool!

Normally I don't go in our pool until July, but I was SO HOT and so sweaty and I just felt inspired. And it felt amazing.

Also amazing was this swimsuit I'd bought on Amazon a few months ago for $23. I was feeling down about my 10(+) lbs weight gain and wanted a one-piece option when I saw this linked in a lawyer mom group and with free returns on the table I decided to try it out. I really love it and felt really good in it.

The kids- hers and mine- were also swimming and it was a lovely way to round out the week. When it was time to get out, I saw mine all linked together and realized this was a prime picture taking opportunity.

So we're doing good. I'm super busy at work and I have GOT to start making myself fall asleep before midnight, but the kids are good, our routine is good, and though I miss James terribly (we're usually about 2 feet apart from 8 p.m. to midnight every evening), we're good too. He's so happy for me to have this yoga training opportunity and he's having to do so much extra to make it happen that even if it started to feel like too much, I come home to my clean kitchen and sleepy kids and husband waiting up for me to tell him all about my day and just feel so grateful for it all.

Now I need to go to some yoga homework and yoga journaling and convince at least one member of my family to let me practice teach my yoga sequence. I hope you all have wonderful weeks ahead. Maggie loves you.