Working on Wellness: Sleep

We covet sleep in our house a little more highly than others do. My wonderful (full-grown, adult) husband takes naps on a regular basis. Zoe, as a toddler, sleeps about 11 hours at night plus a daily 2-hr nap. I trail these two with my dinky 8 hours (Also, confession- sometimes I close my door at work and take a 15 minute snooze. But I'm pregnant so it's ok)

It's well known that sleep is necessary and imperative for well-being. Even though we all know, we need to be reminded of the benefits and guidelines every once in a while! Most adults need 7-9 hours a night.  Both of the adults in our house are on the 8-9 hr end of the spectrum... but of course, everyone is different!  Just do what's right for you.

One interesting thing I've learned in doing some research is that experts don't actually know the exact reason we need sleep. Kind of funny.  Anyway, some of the things you accomplish by getting enough shut-eye:

- Decreased chance of being obese (which leads to a host of other health problems)

- Low levels of stress hormones

- Improved mood- SMILE!

- Better looking skin (resulting from better O2 circulation) - you know when people tell you "you look tired," that means "you look terrible"

- during REM sleep your brain is processing and organizing all of the sights, sounds, and thoughts from the day. This is why babies need so much sleep; everything is so new to them, they need a lot of sleep to organize all that input!  For adults, we are able to better face the stresses and difficult daily problems after some shut-eye.

Of course, there are so many reasons not to get enough sleep! The laundry needs to be done, it's time to party, you need to finish the book you're reading, Downton Abbey is on tv... But try and remind yourself of the balance you are trying to achieve in your life. Sleep is an integral part to this balance. Stop, take some big cleansing breaths, and relax.

Take a cue from me, and sleep whenever/wherever you have a chance (as chronicled by my sweet, charming hubs.... thanks...hanks, my love.):

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Nutritious and Delicious: Green (Purple) Smoothie

At our house we've really been on a big veggie kick lately.  You know you are supposed to get 3-5 servings of veggies a day, right?  Well, if you have some carrots & hummus at lunch, and some salad at dinner, that's probably only 2-3 servings (if you eat salad like we do in our house, it will definitely count as more than one serving, as each of us has a daily serving rougly the size of my 7-month-pregnant belly).  Now, ok, technically... you may have met your daily recommendation.  BUT! if you want to be an overachiever...and get to the MAX AMOUNT OF VEGGIES you can in one day...that means you need some vegetables at breakfast, too.

Enter green smoothie.  Easy, delicious, nutritious, quick to prepare, refreshing, customizeable... seriously, if you aren't on the green smoothie train you need to get on it right now.

How to make a green smoothie (and the benefits of each ingredient): 
Combine in a blender:

1. Approx. 1 cup of milk/soymilk
• Protein source (8 g per cup in either type) to help you stay full longer
• DHA, Vitamin D if fortified with these
• You can use OJ (Mike does) or almondmilk or coconutmilk if you're a dum-dum and don't care about the protein
2. 1 banana
• Potassium (Good for electrolyte balance) 
• B vitamins (Cell metabolism)
• Easy-to-digest sugars to help your body get moving in the A.M.
3. A heaping handful of raw spinach
• Vitamin A (Good for vision, skin, & immunity to name a few)
• Vitamin K (Blood and bone health)
• Folate (Important for pregnant women, to prevent spina bifida in the fetus)
4. Approx. 3/4 cup frozen berries (we get a ginormous bag at The Best Store on Earth)
• Antioxidants (GO AWAY CANCER)
• Delicious factor
• Covers up green color (although I don't really care about that)
• You can use other frozen fruits, like mango or peaches, which are also delicious!
• You could also use peanut butter + ice cubes for a stick-to-your-ribs flavor
• You can use fresh berries/fruit but decrease the liquid considerably if you do

The morning arsenal

That's it.  Four ingredients (maybe five).  For bonus nutrition, you can add:

• Ch-ch-ch-chia seeds or ground flaxseed (Omega-3 fatty acids: great for the brain!)
• Raw local honey (to help fight allergies)
• Instant coffee granules (za zoom!!  This goes awesome in the banana/PB one)

Now you have no excuse to skip breakfast (I can't beleive people do that!), and no excuse to skip your morning vegetables!  This takes all of 3 minutes to blend up and enjoy.

Notice my sweet Boston Marathon pint glass

And since I'm 5, I like to add a fun colorful straw to drink it with! 

Oh, the simple pleasures in life. Drink up!

xoxo Phae

Healthy Mama, Happy Family: My Favorite Yoga Poses While Prego

You may have heard the saying, "happy mama, happy family" - well, happy = healthy.  Especially this mama.  I am very sensitive to lack of sleep, poor nutrition, and exercise levels. It's a very conscious effort for me to accept the changes that happen to my body during pregnancy. I have had a better attitude the second time around - maybe I'm more mature? (Wait...one of my favorite things is to instruct Zoe to tell Mike "dada farted...dada stinks." Maybe it's not maturity after all...) Perhaps I am learning and improving on my newly articulated philosophy of balance, seasons, and perspective. I am never going to run like Kara Goucher or look like Mila Kunis, ever. I can, however, be the best mommy, wife, friend,.. that Phae Feaga can be. Provided, of course, that I take care of myself first, in the capacity appropriate for my stage in life.

Yoga is an awesome way to keep strength in your muscles during pregnancy, as well as a great way to stretch out trouble spots. This applies to non-pregnant life as well! Let me show you the poses I'm loving at 7 months prego.

Child's pose

Child's pose is a resting pose in yoga. However, you can make it lazy, or you can use it as a freaking awesome back stretch (turns out carrying a 15-lb bowling ball in front of your body 24/7 (oh and did I mention also carrying a 30-lb toddler?) kind of reams your back)
First, I modify this a little bit by spreading my legs out a little farther than normal to accommodate the bowling ball. Then I reach as far as I can with my fingertips to lift my elbows off the ground. Finally, I take big yoga breaths in and out - at the peak of the breath, I can feel my lungs expanding so much that they are trying to push my ribs out of my skin. Awesome! Repeat.

Cow Pose

Cat pose

Cat/cow pose is a dynamic pose, again targeting the back. Move fluidly from one to the other, holding each one as long as you want. I'm feeling better already!

Pigeon pose

Pigeon pose was my favorite before pregnancy because of running, and it remains my favorite as a pregnant person. Turns out both running and being "in my condition" are both hard on the hips. This is the best hip stretch I've ever found (and I have looked a lot.) I could hold this pose for like, 20 minutes a side and not get tired of it. In fact...I think I'll go do it right now...

Warrior III

Last but not least, warrior 3. I just like this one because you would think the balance poses would be harder with your center of gravity all wonky...but! they are not! Doing a pose like this makes me feel "normal" for a few moments, and it's lovely.

Namaste.
xoxo Phae

Letter to a Role Model: Papou

Yesterday was my Papou's 80th birthday. He's my dad's dad, he came to the U.S. from Greece when he was 15 to go to school, and he is truly the kind of role model I am lucky to have. Reaching a big milestone like an 80th birthday is a perfect time to reflect on the impact someone has had in your life. So, here I am, reflecting.  One of my favorite things about growing up is having the privelege of getting to know the adults in your life, as an adult yourself.  In childhood, we idolize our parents and grandparents.  For me, I always thought that Papou, the engineer, was really good at driving trains....

Petros Papas: he doesn't always carry paint buckets, but when he does, he does it with a smile

Here is a distilled list of qualities about my grandfather that I would like to emulate throughout my life.

1. His passion for life-long learning.  Even into late adulthood, especially after his retirement, he's known to sit in his office working out differential equations, reading about new technologies, and keeping his mind sharp. 
2. He is dedicated to his faith in God in an ongoing way.  I never realized until I was an adult how faithfully he attends services at St. Michael's Orthodox Church in Greensburg, PA, and how faithfully he serves on different committees, helps out with events, and fills any need the church community may have.  It doesn't have to be in a capacity that he is familiar with either - he just steps up to help in a prayerful, humble way - counting on the Big Guy to fill in the gaps.
3. His patient, caring, sacrificial love for his wife.  I can only try my best to give of myself so much to my husband over the next decades.  The love is obvious to anyone who witnesses them together.
4. His ability to stay active even into maturity.  He always did "calisthenics" (his words, not mine) as an adolescent and young adult, and now he routinely goes on walks around his neighborhood to stay fit, mobile, and agile at his age.  This, I'm confident, contributes greatly to his quality of life!
5. Papou is the patriarch of a family of engineers.  Several of us chose that profession, likely because of an inspiration seeded by his enthusiasm for engineering, math and science.  See #1.

If I make it to my 80th birthday, if I've been able to mimic Papou in the above attributes just a little bit, then I would say I've had a pretty successful life on this earth. 

May all of you be inspired to live your whole life well!

xoxo Phae

Frugal Houston Fun: the Discovery Green

Tiny baby Zoe and dad enjoying a bonding moment at a DG picnic

Our family is so lucky to live in the 4th largest city in the U.S. of A. There are so many amazing places to see, and a lot of them cost little to no money! Going to these places is totally aligned with one our family's values- you don't have to spend money in order to have a good time!

We love to spend a sunny Saturday at the Discovery Green. (Or if you ask Zoe, the "Na-na-na-na Gween")  It's like an oasis in the middle of downtown Houston.  They have a lake with kayaking, an outdoor stage, two large water playing areas, a big playground, several different flat field areas, and boccie courts.  They also have free yoga and Zumba classes a few times during the week (still need to try these out...anyone want to go with me?), will have free movie showings, and many other awesome FREE events!

We take Zoe to the splash pad ("splash iPad" as our technology-savvy toddler calls it) around lunch time.  We will either pack a picnic from home, or we will hit up Phoenicia, the delicious Mediterranean market just a block away from the Green.  When I'm not pregnant we may be known to pack a thermos of adult beverage although technically "it's not allowed."  We'll have some lunch on the grass, then let Zoe go wild in the fountains.

Z and YaYa exploring the "splash iPad" last year

There are so many beautiful parks in Houston, including the Green.  The crazy part is that they are almost never crowded!!  Where is everyone?  Don't they know how great it is to spend the afternoon outdoors enjoying the abundant sunshine, green grass, delicious food, and the company of your family? FOR FREE?! Get with the program, people!!

An added bonus to a little kid playing in the sun and water is that it knocks her out:

an excuse to post this super-cute picture of 4-month-old Zoe after a day at the pool

That means a little extra alone time for mom and dad (wink wink)...

GO! Get your butt outside and explore your city's parks!
xoxo Phae

Working on Wellness: The Neti Pot

The neti pot: the best allergy remedy

Get ready everyone.  Today's post is not only a general wellness tip...but there is also a related BONUS frugality tip!

It's springtime, which means soft rain violent thunderstorms, flowers, blossoming trees, and...allergies.

I've been using the neti pot to irrigate my sinuses for several years now.  For several years before that, I was vehemently opposed to the neti pot - mostly because my Dad kept trying to get me to use it, and I am both a) a contrarian and b) not usually ok with putting things up my nose on purpose. And how glad I am that I finally gave in and tried it!

The neti pot is the gentlest, most satisfying way to get rid of all the guck in your sinuses due to allergies or a cold.  I usually do the neti pot as part of my morning routine, and sometimes if it's been a particularly rough day I will do it in the evening, too.  I won't get into the mechanics of it too much, but you stick that sucker in one nostril and tilt your head to the side, and out the other nostril comes the solution + all the goodies.  If you are interested in getting or using a neti pot, make sure you read the instructions carefully and follow them! There are a lot of tips, tricks, and nuances. I don't really want to talk about those, I just want to tell you to get one and use it.

If you suffer from seasonal allergies, GET A NETI POT.  It is so cheap and effective for clearing out your sinuses.  It's better than taking medication every day, and it's certainly better than suffering with a runny nose for half of the year. I personally don't do anything else for allergies.

Now on to the BONUS FRUGALITY TIP: Home made Neti mix - save $70 a year!!

At CVS/Walgreens/Kroger/etc., you can buy pre-mixed packages of neti mix.  ORRRRR you can make it yourself!  It literally tells you on the side of the box exactly how to make it at home.  The packets are a 3:1 ratio of sodium chloride to sodium bicarbonate.  For those of you who don't remember your high school chemistry class, that is TABLE SALT and BAKING SODA.  We've been doing this at our house for a while now, but until I decided to do this post, I had't actually calculated how much cheaper it is to make your own.

Here's how I spent the past 15 minutes of my life:

Let me summarize my work:  buying the packets from the store is 11 cents per teaspoon (I measured: 1 packet = 1 tsp).  Home made mix is 0.6 cents per teaspoon.  To buy the packets is EIGHTEEN TIMES MORE EXPENSIVE and really, not that much easier.  Especially if you already have baking soda and salt at your house (which you do.)  Now, I understand we're only talking pennies here, but it's the principle of it.  18. x. more. $.  Plus, if you assume two people in a household use the Neti pot once a day (say you're unreliable and skip about 30 days a year) - you save $70 a year! 

Now go on a date to celebrate - or better yet, keep the money and have the peace of mind that it is happily working towards your early retirement/kid's college fund/summer vacation.

xoxo Phae

Nutritious and Delicious: Home-made Energy Bars

So, I told myself my first post wouldn't be about food.  But we just made these over the weekend and OH My Gosh you guys. 

One thing to mention...I'm currently (29 weeks) pregnant.  Forgot to mention that in Post 1 explicitly, although I did reference the watermelon on my bladder.

Since about half-way through my 2nd trimester, my normal morning/afternoon snacks that I brought to work just weren't cutting it.  I think I have a tapeworm, plus a baby with a tapeworm, because I am hungry all the time.  I do not remember being this ravenous with Zoe.  Anyway - a typical (non-pregnant) morning snack is a piece of fruit, and then veggies + hummus or more fruit + PB in the afternoon.  As the pregnancy progressed, I've needed to add a protein/fat element to the morning snack, too.  Also I've increased the portion size of both snacks just a tad.  Like, my lunch box now has more food in it than my 6'5" male husband.

I've been using (organic) energy bars as the addition to my daytime meals.  But one day I was looking at the label and realized the ingredients list is so long!  And even as a chemical engineer, I was unfamiliar with several of the ingredients.  Plus the sugar was "high maltose corn syrup" which just sounds like a sneaky way around including high fructose corn syrup. 

I started to look up recipes for home-made energy bars and came across this one which was quoted as tasting just like a Snickers bar.  Um, yes please.  You can read all about them by following the link, but I will summarize for you: Put dates, almonds, chocolate chips, and a little peanut butter in the food processor until it looks like chunky poop.  Before your toddler tries to eat all of the chunky poop pieces, press the mixture into a wax-paper lined pan and refrigerate.  Cut into squares.

Mike and I did some rough calculations, and if you cut the bars into 24 squares, each one has about 170 calories.  That is comparable to (or less than) any off-the-shelf energy bar you will buy.  I ate one as my morning snack this morning, and I was full until past noon!  Normally, I watch the clock until 11:30 and then waddle my pregnant butt down to the kitchen to make lunch.

Some notes: 

1. I got a 4-lb carton of dates from The Best Store On Earth Costco, and made an amateur mistake.  I got dates with pits in them!  So my amazing husband helped to squeeze all the pits out of the dates.  (It actually wasn't that bad, they come out pretty easily... but I will definitely make sure to get pitted dates next time.)

2. I've made several "hippie"-type recipes which use dates as an alternative to refined sugar, but I hadn't really looked into the nutritional value of dates before.  So I did.  And let me tell you.. dates are basically the best food ever. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

• They contain a plethora of vitamins & minerals: vitamins A, B6, and K, niacin, folate, riboflavin, thiamin, the minerals potassium, copper, manganese & magnesium, and iron.
• They contain antioxidants: beta-carotene, lutein, and zea-xanthin.
• They contain a type of dietary fiber that slows down the digestion of sugars ... so even though dates are mostly the simple sugars, you won't have a spike in energy and then feel tired/hungry shortly after.

3. Our 2-cup, 10-year-old food processor is terrible.  I had to work in super small batches to get a homogenous mixture.  But...it was worth it!

Next time, to be consistent with my own rules, I think I need to use better-quality chocolate.  And (I can't believe I'm saying this) they could probably stand to use less chocolate... the dates are plenty sweet.  I also think toasted coconut could be delicious in there.  I think you could pretty much throw whatever you want in and they would be delicious!

What sounds good to you guys?

xoxo Phae

Post 1: My day is swell, thank you.

Phae Feaga - an Introduction

I have a lot of interests.  I've wanted to start a blog for a long time but could not choose which topic of interest to write about.  So, instead of stalling any more trying to decide, I'm just going to write about it all.

Some of those interests include:

1. Mike Feaga: my super-awesome, super-hot, red-head, interesting, smart, hilarious, sassy (yes, I know that's a word typically reserved for females), frugal, non-mainstream, loving, thoughtful husband.
2. Zoe Feaga: our adorable, hilarious, smart, blue-eyed "crazy woman" (Mike's words, repeated by Z.)
3. Health and Wellness: a HUGE category which includes but is not limited to:
   • preparing and eating delicious, quick, nutritious meals
   • reading blogs about preparing and eating delicious, quick, nutritious meals
   • running (not so much right now, you try running with a watermelon on your bladder)
   • yoga (the physical as well as mental/spiritual aspects)
   • any free forms of exercise - having a 2-yr-old gives you new ideas about exercise
   • reading books, blogs, the dictionary... "I like to break a mental sweat, too"
   • spending quality time with family - near and far (thanks, FaceTime!)
4. Spirituality: this is an aspect of wellness, of course, but it deserves its own number.  I was baptized as an infant into the Orthodox Christian church and grew up with an almost-inherent understanding of my faith.  Now, I love to explore/re-learn/practice the traditions and theology of the ancient faith in a new light as an adult.
5. Living frugally: Mike and I love to challenge "the norm" when it comes to The American Dream (used very loosely, as I'm aware there really isn't such a thing as one standard American Dream) of obtaining stuff (nice cars, nice clothes, nice house) in order to obtain happiness in life.  In fact, we believe the opposite - by focusing on the non-stuff... stuff, you are focusing on what truly brings happiness and fulfillment.

One of the main goals I have for this blog is to hold myself accountable to the above interests.  Because if I'm honest, they aren't really "interests" so much as "my whole life" - and I want to be the kind of person who practices what they preach - every day (hence the name of the blog) - which then translates into a month, a year, and a lifetime.  By sharing things with an audience (even if it's only my Facebook-savvy dad...Hi Dad!) on a regular basis, I will hopefully be able to reinforce these principles within myself. 

Thank you for helping me, and hopefully I can help you, too!

xoxo Phae