I did something different (for me) a few weeks ago and since then I have decided this will become a monthly tradition for me. I arranged a night (pretty much) all on my own. It was amazing and I felt completely recharged by the end.
I hired a babysitter to come over and I went on an evening run near Utah lake right before the sun went down. I pretty much never run later on in the day and I rarely (if ever) get a babysitter before Brooke is already in bed but that day I just knew I needed to have some time on my own. My run was musicless, watchless, pictureless (for the first time in 5 years maybe?), full of thoughts and stops whenever I felt like walking. I used to place a lot of guilt on myself if I ever felt like I needed time on my own. Asking for babysitting was always really hard for me for some reason but something I’ve learned over the last few years is that time on my own when I need it actually helps me to be a better mom. Taking some time to be by myself without any distractions is healthy. It helps me to be more patient, understanding, loving, excited to get back at it with parenting and I think it is good for Brooke to see me taking care of myself too.
I came home after my run to a 3 year old that was stoked to see me, a straightened up house (I found a gem of a babysitter;) and all of the ingredients I needed to make a delicious meal at home. Brooke hung out on my hip while I did most of the cooking before she went to bed.
On the menu for my recharging night—> Nepalese Chicken Tarkari w/Garlic-Spinach Rice and Spiced Tomato Sauce from Blue Apron. I felt pretty fancy that night even though I was still in my running shoes and eating on the couch.
I ate while watching a documentary (ps documentaries make me suddenly very passionate about topics that I have had zero interests in before watching the documentary) on the couch by myself. This sauce on the chicken was perfection and look at that awesome carbohydrate to protein ratio on that plate for my post-run meal:)
That beautiful box (you can learn more about their recycling program here) is how my meals are delivered to me. It is a refrigerated box that keeps everything perfectly fresh when it is delivered to my doorstep so that even if I am not home when it arrives, everything stays fresh. Everything that they deliver is farm-fresh and in the EXACT right proportions for your meals. It means no waste from unused ingredients and I don’t have to go to the grocery store which makes it my favorite treat for myself:)
I always go for the 2-Person Plan (they also have a Family Plan!) with Blue Apron. Sometimes Brooke joins in on the meals with me or my mom comes over for dinner (she’s always very excited when I get a delivery) or I put the second portion in the fridge for me to eat the next day.
I was stoked to see that I was going to get to try the BBQ-Spiced Salmon & Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds w/Arugula, Apple & Walnut Salad. All of my favorite ingredients in one dish.
Isn’t that salmon just beautiful? I have yet to ever receive any ingredient from Blue Apron that wasn’t high quality and fresh. Not once. And I have made a lot of meals with them. You can read all about their mission of developing sustainable food systems and using high quality ingredients here.
Ever since we moved to our new place we have been eating at home A TON more which I am loving because we end up spending a lot of time together in the kitchen. Brooke asks me questions, tells me stories, helps me mix things and we are eating a lot better at home vs. eating out all of the time.
When I set my plate down on the ground next to the window (the best lighting in our apartment) for a few quick pictures, Brooke thought she was quite hilarious for jumping in on the pic with the food.
I am positive I could live on this meal for dinner for the next year straight. I didn’t want it to end.
I love a plate of food full of bright colors!
The last meal that we made out of this box was the Fresh Fettuccine Pasta w/Porcini Mushroom Bolognese which was the perfect meal the night before one of my long runs.
This was also a meal that Brooke loved! It was filling, the tomato-based sauce was full of flavor and the fresh fettuccine was SO much better than the pasta I usually eat. As I am writing this and looking at this picture I am wishing really badly that another big plate of it would magically appear in front of me right this second.
I came across this little kitchen platter a few months ago and had to grab it. I completely agree that a good meal just makes everything else in life that much better! Blue Apron has a HUGE selection of recipes and they are always adding new delicious dishes to their menu each week. They help me dine well:)
I just need to add ‘RUN WELL’ to the list.
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Now it is your turn to treat yourself with some incredible meals—> The first 50 readers will get TWO free meals on their first Blue Apron order: GO HERE! There is no commitment—> you can skip or cancel the service at any time!
*Sponsored by Blue Apron! Thanks for supporting me, the Brookers and our incredible sponsors on our random corner of the internet!!
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What are the things that you do to recharge yourself?
Absolute favorite time of the day to go out for a run?
Do you ever get to run by water?
-I run by a river a lot but need to make it out to the lake more often:)
Who does the most cooking in your household?
45 comments
Flower
I like to run over our new causeway trail which takes you right over Tampa Bay from Clearwater to Tampa. I’ve seen dolphins jumping out of the water, mantarays and the most beautiful sunsets ever. It’s life changing, I swear!
Michele @paleorunningmomma
I do all the cooking and don’t mind at all since I love it most of the time! I need my alone time to recharge and fully enjoy it, mornings are my best and really only time to run and by 8pm I really don’t move at all :)
Sarah @ SarahRuns26
I am an evening runner. Sometimes I go in the mornings, but I have a hard time getting myself out of bed. If I’m meeting people its usually not an issue though (not that I LIKE getting up at 4-something in the morning though!)
I read, take a bath, sit on the deck with some hot tea. Sometimes just being alone is all I need to recharge, but regardless of what it is, I need it to keep me going and sane!
Since we’ve been building a house and living with my parents, my mom cooks the most, I can’t wait to move into the new place so I can get back to normal cooking again! I miss it!
Sally @ sweat out the small stuff
I ran 10 miles by the ocean last weekend. I love running by water.
I usually walk or hike with the dog in the woods to recharge. Nature always calms me down.
My last two runs this week have been about 5pm. It’s nice to get the aroma of the neighborhood dinners. Lots of people have been barbecuing because the weather here in NYC is amazing lately. 70 degrees! And low humidity which never happens.
Michelle
My favorite time of day to run is early morning – there aren’t many people up yet so it’s really peaceful. And I feel pretty badass when I’ve finished a long run before the majority of people are even out of bed.
I usually run in the evenings after work though and so does Matt. Sometimes we run together but he finishes work a little later than me so often we run separately during the week. Whichever one of us gets home first cooks dinner. I’m not a fan of cooking so this is always a great reason to run a couple of extra miles!
Natalie
I’m single and live alone, so I do all of the cooking (if I cook). I might need to try Blue Apron!
To recharge, I go for a run or walk and try to clear my head. Listening to music also helps while I’m on a walk.
Amanda W.
Off topic question…..What type of tripod do you use for all the pics your in? I have been looking at them on Amazon and I am totally confused which one to get! Thanks:)
Karien @ Running the Race
Your alone-night sounds FANTASTIC – I also need one of those every now and again ;) .
Laura @ This Runner's Recipes
I love running by the water also! I always run by a river and my favorite is when I can get to run by one of the lakes here.
Kristina Running
I’ve been trying out meal delivery services recently, I’ll have to add Blue Apron to the list. So far I’ve tried a couple of local services and then one made for athletes. The athlete one had delicious food and like 50 grams of protein per dinner serving, but their meal selection was really limited so I got bored of the meals fast (unfortunately)!
I really enjoy running at night! I like taking the time to myself to transition from my work brain to my home brain (lol). It gives me time to de-stress and de-compress before I come home and relax. If I don’t run I feel really high strung the rest of the night!
Steph @ loveandlunge
I recently found a trail that goes right along a river near my house and I’m obsesseddddd with it. It makes the time go by in a flash because I’m just watching the river and at peace the whole time. It’s fantastic.
I’ve got an alone night scheduled for myself this weekend since my bf is going to be out of town and I’m stoked. Yours sounded so nice it only made me more excited!
Jenny
My favorite time to run is in the afternoon or evening. I think I actually just miss being able to say “hey, I feel like running right now” and going out right then.
A night off makes such a huge difference. I’m the same way with baby sitters though so that makes going on dates with my husband hard. So it’s something I’m working on too. One on one date nights and a night off with just me once in a while would be amazing.
Rachel
My favorite time to go running is early in the morning before or while the sun is coming up. It is so peaceful and the thought that I’m out running while everyone is just getting up is awesome.
The most water I get to run by is a pond full of geese or a little stream running through time.
My mom and myself do the most cooking in the house. I usually cook for myself but occasionally she makes something too good to resist!
Sky @ lifeintshirts
My husband and I usually cook together but I would say that he takes the lead on main dish and I do all the baking/dessert (my favorite part). I feel like Blue Apron would be a fantastic date night activity because we could spend some time together and enjoy a delicious meal that we both helped prepare.
Mollie
A few weeks ago I did the same thing, my husband was out of town (he usually works on the weekends anyway, so it wasn’t a huge change) and I dropped the baby off at her favorite teacher’s house to play for a couple hours. I had an amazing long run, then I took a half hour to get some lunch and relax a little. It’s hard to work all week and more often than not be the only parent home and find any time to recharge that’s not late at night. You’re right on that it makes you a better mom! And my daughter got to play with some little friends which I definitely think helps make her weekend more enjoyable!
Ultra Run Couple @UltraRunCouple
I am just starting my taper for next week, so I am hoping that will serve as a big, huge recharge!
Todd and I live in Louisville, so a lot of our runs are by the water. Today, we ran over the river twice (once into Indiana and then over again to get back into Kentucky). Prior to Louisville, we lived in Newport, Kentucky which was right on the border with Cincinnati, so bridge runs have been a big part of our lives for years.
Your meals look awesome. I will be increasing my carb intake starting next Thursday night. Want to fly down to Louisville and hang out/cook for me/cheer me on for the Derby marathon? :)
Jessie @ The Acquired Sass
I grew up just down the road from Newport in Ft. Thomas. I used to row on the river so running or walking the bridges before or after practice was a frequent occurrence. :)
Good luck at the Derby Marathon! It’s one I would love to run (well, maybe just the half!)
Meredith @ the cookie chrunicles
I do get to run by the water! Pretty soon I take my runs down to the boardwalk by ocean. I grew up living down by the water which is one of the great things about Long Island and New York! I don’t run later in day but always think I should give it a try sometimes.
Kaci @ Kaci K. RD2Be
I love Blue Apron! That fettuccine looks delicious!
I love running in the summer first thing in the morning. Seeing the sunrise makes my whole day better. The trail I usually run on is by a river and most of the parks in my town have little lakes/ponds in them, which is really nice.
My husband and I are both really good about making dinner. The person making it changes based on our schedules. He works til 7 right now, so I make dinner for when he gets home. Last year when I had evening classes, he cooked and had dinner waiting for me when I got home.
Amy
Those recipes look amazing! I love being in the kitchen and cooking. Even after work, as long as we don’t have to rush any where else, cooking dinner is actually one of the things that recharges me.
I love running in the mornings but these days that’s mostly on the weekends, until summer and no school rolls around. I love running by water too. There is a creek by my house I run next too all the time. They built a little park/trail along it last summer that is so nice. There is also a great little lake near by that has a trail around it that I sometimes frequent.
Amanda @ Exploring Life & Things
I love running by water, it’s my absolute favorite! I live about a 3 minute run away from the Mississippi River and there’s a riverwalk that I love running on.
I do the majority of the cooking but my boyfriend likes to cook steaks, fajitas or tacos quite a bit. I’m learning more and more that I enjoy cooking for the most part haha.
Hannah @ Will Run For Coffee
I run down by the Thames quite a lot. I’ve been in Luxembourg with work this week, and knew I’d be crazy busy, so on Monday I caught the earlier train and ran from St. Paul’s Cathedral, to Big Ben, and back again before work. It was lovely! :)
Kaytlin
Recharge outlets: Naps, a good run, a good laugh, or a book/movie
Running in the morning is my favorite favorite favorite.
I live by a river so rivers always feel like home to me.
I definitely cook more than the partner in crime, but my mother’s cooking puts me to shame. Her biscuits and roasted squash bring tears to my eyes.
emily
If you haven’t seen the documentary SlingShot yet, check it out! I think it’s still on Netflix… I had no real interest or background knowledge on any of it, but was feeling teary and impassioned by the end! :)
Chelsea @ Chelsea Be Healthy
I love to have nights to just recharge! My favorite thing to do when I’m feeling extra anxious and just plain crazy is some yoga! If I can get to the studio I love to go there the most but if I can’t I always just turn on a home youtube yoga workout. Yoga with Adrienne is my most favorite!
I live in Arkansas so we aren’t near the ocean but I do live right by the river so I run there a LOT! It’s my favorite! There’s just something so calming about running by the water.
We try to cook pretty much every day. But I have yet to try Blue Apron, but it is on my To-Do list! :)
Jaime H
I used to live in San Diego and miss running at the beach. Now, in Boise, I run by the river a lot. The Spring colors and GREEN are so pretty right now. I either run in the morning on the weekends so my hubby can be on kiddo duty, or while my little one is at preschool. On the days she’s not at preschool it’s a garage or at home workout. Hard to run with her in the stroller these days…3 year olds can only hang for so long and she is HEAVY.
I do all of the cooking at our house, with the help of my daughter, who is 3. She “helps” chop (she holds onto my wrist as I chop), she helps prep things (peeling garlic, taking stems out of mushrooms, cutting herbs with scissors). I even taught her how to bread chicken all by herself. She especially loves when we get our Blue Apron deliveries. We talk about the ingredients, what they are, what they smell like, what measurements to use, etc. It’s my favorite time of day!
Wendy
I LOVE running by water!! I am lucky that one of my usual and favorite routes takes me around a little lake. Even when the run is feeling hard for whatever reason, being by the lake always makes me feel renewed and happy :) I also make sure to get 2 runs in a month at the beach. These runs are definitely “me” time. I don’t worry about my pace, quite often turn my music off, and just enjoy the sound of the ocean! It is so peaceful!
I truly believe that taking some time for yourself is very important! It helps clear your mind and refocus! And you’re right, it does help to make you a better mom! And for me, it helps to make me a better partner to my husband as well. :)
Bethany (Lulu)
I love running by the water, I normally run by a river a couple times a week! It is so relaxing. And good for you for taking time to have some “just mommy time” that is nothing to feel bad about :)
Jessie @ The Acquired Sass
I love running at 7 or 8 in the morning, a time that I can usually only make happen on the weekends. It’s still early enough that the world is sort of sleepy & the weather is usually pretty good.
Considering I’m a one woman household I do all the cooking. When I head to the BF’s house, he does a lot of it. Though usually he handles the meat cooking // grilling & I handle everything else. We love to cook together! And we both learned how to cook differently, so it’s interesting to watch how he does things (even if my way is better ;)
I run down by the river when I can, but there is also a man-made lake nearby with a wonderful paved 5 mile loop around it. I do lots of running, walking & biking there.
Becky @goodfortheswole
I loooove running in the evening, before it’s about to get dark. It’s just so relaxing!! And I’m a huge fan of Blue Apron! Their food is SO yummy!
Emma @myfullfatlife
I love running by water. I’m running alongside the Seattle waterfront today. :)
I don’t cook much but have been thinking about cooking a meal this week.
Cassie
My favorite downtime is a day to myself at home to clean, sew, or just hang around :) I am a bit of an introvert so I definitely need my recharge time. I definitely do most of the cooking at our house. The park that I run in has a beautiful creek running through it so I get to run by water almost every day!
Kristin
Ok, I signed up for Blue Apron! Thanks for the offer! I can’t wait to try it.
Lisa @ TechChick Adventures
My co worker has just started using Blue Apron service and raves about the cooking skills she is learning, and the variety of new foods she gets to use and try out. It sounds great! I do most of the cooking in my house, and I don’t mind. It’s the meal planning that I often struggle with. Mostly because I need to force myself to do it!
Shalyn
I like to trail run – that for me is amazing. I live in the Pacific Northwest so the rainforest is so recharging.
I like to run anytime but early morning is so nice! I run by the ocean all the time as we are on the Pacific. Running by seals and otters is the cutest thing ever. In the early morning they are curious and pop up as you run by. They look like little puppies in the water.
I cook and love to – hard to find time lately so I must plan!!
Great post and have a great day!
Meagan Leanne
Bath time is like the ultimate me time. With bubbles of course.
I often get to go for runs/rides by water near home because there are creeks, rivers, and lakes everywhere. The Chesapeake bay isn’t too far either. The one thing I miss about living near Lake Michigan is running in St. Joe. This time of year is gorgeous and it’s a cute little town with a great loop.
Helen
Taking time out for you is a good idea. I don’t have a kid yet but can imagine how had this can be! To recharge myself I stick n a good box set and slob out with some chocolate! My favourite time of day to run is after work when the sun is lower in the sky. Wish I could run by water all the time but I usually run round underpasses! There is a lake nearby I could drive to though, I may do that soon. Re cooking, I do a lot when I can but also by fiancé does a lot too so I would say we are equal!
jade
Those Blue Apron meals look sooo good, I wish we had that in Canada.
I run my dog at around noon, and then again late evening shortly before bed. I live right across from paths that run beside a river and it is beautiful, I am really lucky.
Olive
That sweet potato dish looks AMAZING! I have sweet potatoes sitting in my fridge that I should cook! :)
Beth
i just signed up for Blue Apron! Can’t wait to get my first delivery!
Tedi @ Running With Infertility
I have to have that alone time, and sometimes I meditate even if its only for a few minutes. It helps me get my priorities straight again.
I really love morning runs, but since I work at 7 I really don’t like getting up earlier than 5 to go out and run.
Frank
Love the night runs to “get away” but can’t do it without the music!
Carol
I live in a little dry dusty town 50km north of where I work, which is on the coast. A beautiful rugged shipwreck coast with the most amazing running track along the foreshore. I’m soooooo lucky. So I often run after work before I make the drive home. But now it’s approaching winter and no more day light saving and the nights are getting earlier it sucks. So my runs are quick after work, and I don’t go all along the foreshore as it’s deserted up one end. Roll on spring and summer again.
Carol @ milesbeforethesun.com
I’ve been seeing lots of meal delivery services advertised lately, so I’m thinking I’ll give this one a try. My husband and I both work full time and have limited time for meal planning & cooking, and I swear most weeks I am at a total loss to try and think about what we’re making that week!
Totally agree on the “me” time. If I didn’t have my runs to get out there and leave stress behind I would be a much different person :)
Shari M
I am a single mom of 2 children. I need time to myself to recharge. I too felt guilty about taking that time away from my kids for myself but it makes me a better mom for sure. I love running in the evening right when its starting to get dark outside. I am a fair weather runner so the temperature needs to be just right or its an inside run for me. I for get in a meal rut from time to time and am always looking for new ideas for meals.