Wellness Archives - Two California Sisters

How to wake up inspired with daily meditations

Repost from October 2021: Kate and I have been exchanging thoughts on our Daily Stoic emails and it prompted me to repost what I wrote on daily mediations a couple of years ago. Holds true today!

I’m a big fan of my morning routines and a recent addition has been morning pages. There are days when writing three pages is no problem. I may have something on my mind that needs processing, or something big happened. But other days, well, I wake up pretty uninspired. That’s where these three sources of daily mediations come in. They are perfect for journaling prompts. And they are a great way to start each morning with a bit of philosophy.

nimbus clouds, daily meditations — Photo by freestocks.org on Pexels.com

Getting ready to send a child back to college

I can’t believe the summer is almost over. Schools are back in session here in the Bay Area. And now it’s time to say goodbye to Sophie as she heads back to Boston. She’ll be a sophomore this year, and I’ve got a few tips on how to send a child back to college in the best way possible.

Welcome home sign — The time has flown by since we greeted Sophie at SFO with our homemade sign

How to make the best of an extended business trip

I just returned from a Sunday-Friday extended business trip to Charlotte, NC. Other than one short trip last year, I haven’t really traveled for work much since the pandemic. So when I knew I was doing a longer trip, I stopped to think about how to make it as pleasant as possible. Here are my tips.

fountain in Charlotte — A cool fountain in Uptown Charlotte

Why are there contact lens product shortages? and some substitutes

Can we still blame COVID for supply chain issues? Or now, are we just down to manufacturer incompetence? Because there are various contact lens product shortages happening. And it’s seriously annoying.

left human eye — Photo by Engin Akyurt on Pexels.com

Doing your best to make future You happy

We all have so much going on in our lives. So it can be tempting to focus solely on the present and neglect how to make future You happy. I’ve been thinking a lot about this topic, and I’ve got a few tips for what you can do today, for the You tomorrow.

The new hip thruster machine at my gym. Future Amy is going to have swole glutes 🙂

Getting my first DEXA scan and next steps

Y’all, I did something super scary this week- I got my first DEXA scan. What is a DEXA scan, you may ask? Basically, a DEXA scan tells you your body composition- body fat, muscle, and bone composition. And it lets you track changes in body composition over time.

Unlike things like body weight and BMI, the results of a DEXA scan give you more personalized and insightful info on what’s going on with your body composition.

Recovering from injuries and getting back out there

Reposting in April 2023: I’ve had a couple of new injuries and I could use a pep talk on recovery…. perhaps you are in the same boat! 🙂

It’s tough when recovering from injuries. I seem to get injured at least a few times a year. Mainly it’s due to overwork/overuse while exercising, but sometimes it’s due to an accident.

I haven’t had a great track record of staying healthy during COVID-19; I’ve tripped (twice) while running, tearing up my left shin and knee, I ruptured my eardrum while swimming in Cabo. Right now, I’m at the tail end of recovering from tendonitis (too much running, too fast) and at the beginning of dealing with some lower back issues (150+ loaded squats in one day). It’s always something!

Living an amazing life in Santa Ynez Valley!

Champagne tasting!

Horses, cows and pigs 🙂

Beautiful scenery and walks…

Yes, that’s what our life in Santa Ynez Valley has consisted of recently!

farm animals — We’re out in the country now!

How have you changed the way you exercise?

I’m not alone, apparently. Have you changed the way you exercise? Lots of people have. This recent article seemed to sum up one aspect of it: we’re all doing a lot more strength training. And that’s definitely true in my case- but there are a few other changes too. Perhaps you’ve experienced them as well?

Gym full of machines and — I’m not using the racks quite as much but definitely lifting heavier weights these days

Should we all try to be a little less delicate?

I am wading into controversial waters with this opinion- but I think we should all try to be a little less delicate. A little less easily offended and triggered. Toughen up, people! Dear Husband and I attended a performance of the musical “Assassins” recently- which brought this idea into stark relief.