I awoke this morning to another gray, snowy day. My first desire was to pull the blankets under my chin and snuggle in for the day but that just wasn’t an option. The dogs (two corgis) were waiting for my eyes to open so they could make a mad dash for the door. It is the same thing every morning. They bark at the door to get in with an incessant, rhythmic bark that I only hear at mealtime. When I open the door, they snarl all the way to their food dishes and literally inhale their food. Then they quickly run to the refrigerator where I keep their peanut butter which is how I administer their glucosamine tablets. From there, they run to the cookie jar which contains their doggy biscuits and if I am lucky, I still have my fingers after they have taken a bite much too large for the size of their treats. All the while this is going on, the cat is flipping and rolling and trying to be cute to get my attention. He then gobbles down his kitty treats. Now you may wonder what this has to do with fitness or fashion, but be patient with me. I will get there. What I realize is just how important routines are, and how they can give you a little control over your day.

I proceeded to pour myself a cup of coffee and down a Kashi bar, turned on Good Morning America and sat at my desk to write the morning bank deposits for our store. With something in my stomach, and my caffeine boost I went downstairs and worked out. Thank goodness I sweat the way I do because I was forced to take a shower even though I was tired enough to crawl back into bed. That meant blow-drying my hair and of course it is routine to put on make-up first. Next came getting dressed and even though I knew I wouldn’t be leaving the house today, I still resisted putting on my velour hoodie and pants. (I don’t believe in wearing clothes without feedback during the day since pounds can creep on easily without notice.) So I put on something cute and comfortable. Now some of you would say, “Why bother?”, but to that I say “It is part of my routine.”

Not too much time has gone by and I have managed to do some work, work out, and look presentable if even only to the dogs and cat who by now have allowed themselves to return to blissful slumber. I understand that not everyone has the luxury of time to practice such habits but if you make fitness and fashion part of your daily routine whether it be morning, noon or night you will not only look better, but you will feel better too. The more you practice, the easier it gets. More on healthy habits in future posts…….