Colour Me Happy

snapshots of my two weeks offline

What started as a dietary detox evolved into a digital hiatus & time spent in introspection.  It gave me a chance to re-prioritize & narrow what I focus my time & energy toward.  It is so easy to spread myself too thinly by getting excited & delving into countless projects or just over-committing.  Spending a couple weeks unplugged & focused on myself gave me a chance to monitor & evaluate how I really wanted to spend my time, when a lot of the distractions were gone:

Classes have been rough this week though, for whatever reason.  I feel overwhelmed & like I should probably be putting a little more attention toward studying & doing homework again.  I need balance though, so even just incorporating mini study breaks into a mellow bouldering session works really well for me some days, hence the chalky hands above.  I also realized my not-so-favorite subjects can be quite interesting if I make the effort to look deeper.

I wrote with actual pens & on real paper more.  I took photos just to take them.  I started a sketch & thought journal as an artistic outlet.  I pretty much zeroed in on the design for my tattoo & started a simple travel journal for my adventures with Dave.  I embraced beautiful music.  Pandora (I wasn't completely digital-less) played in the background while we prepared dinner together or while I studied alone.  I also sat at my piano often, filling our house with live music & discovered my new favorite modern composer, Ludovico Einaudi.  After Dave introduced me to his music (Pandora again), I immediately called my local piano music store & ordered one of his composition books.  He has completely re-inspired me to play again.

Even without online ideas, I challenged myself with new workouts, reminding myself my creativity can be challenging & leave me worked.  Also, simplest is sometimes best: the above is challenging & meant to be completed without rests.  Dave came up with that one.  Use whatever weight allows you to keep good form for all 10 reps of deadlifts; the last couple should be very challenging though.

The above photo is from our trip to Thailand a couple years ago.  My push up form has improved a great deal since then.  I'd love to delve into the topic of form & exercise more on the blog, which leads into my next idea.  I had time to explore (mostly in my mind) an idea for a cool online resource I plan to pursue (slowly! because I just decided to stop spreading myself so thinly). I'm excited to not only share it with you, but hopefully make you a part of it too!

Of course climbing took priority during my hiatus.  I started getting back into trad & was introduced to a new area less than an hour from our home.  Dave's photo captured the beautiful intensity there.

My yoga practice has strengthened both in quantity & quality.  I have continued making time for it 3 - 4 times a week, allowing myself to focus on developing a good foundation rather than stress over complicated poses just yet.  I also began going to Bikram again once a week, which complemented my detox perfectly.

~

These are the areas that make me happiest, so I plan to live in these.  There is no point in spending most of our time & energy doing things that do not enrich our lives in some way or really make us happy.  Blogging makes me happy too - it's one of my creative outlets! - & I like what I contribute here.

~

If you had to choose 4 or 5 areas to focus your time & energy toward, what would they be?  Some are required like work, school, etc; but shouldn't we consciously choose how we spend our time?  Don't think about this too long - it's usually what comes to mind first - please share in the comments below.  I can't wait to read your responses.

pull the pin?

I really wanted to share a little bit of how I spent my time during my two weeks of digital rest -- I even have the post all set up, but it will have to wait until Friday -- because I just have to address what’s gnawing at me.

I have serious issues with Pinterest.

I started pinning before people were really talking about it, before it really blew up in popularity.  When I came across it, I thought it was one of the coolest things ever.  What an awesome, aesthetic & organized way to bookmark, because that's how I use it: as a personal inspiration board as well as for tagging recipes I want to try.  As much as I love Pinterest, I always had issues with people not crediting sources properly, which only became worse as Pinterest grew.  I find few things as frustrating as getting lost in a Tumblr blackhole when you just want to find the original post.  I couldn’t really blame Pinterest though, could I?  They make it really easy to link or even update the source URL; but they also make it easy to pin just anything whether it is the original source or not.  Months ago, I decided I wouldn’t repin anything not from the original source.  I even went so far as to delete any of my pins if I could not find the original source.  Yes, this took quite a bit of time - valuable time I could have been scouring for more pins, right?

I’ve wanted to talk about proper crediting since this post.  I spent two hours tracking down the original source for the graphic.  Of course, I first saw it as a pin, which took me to a blog, which credited another blog, which actually wasn’t the original source at all but a pinner who added it to her own board, likely repinned because she didn’t know where it came from either…you see how easily this is becoming one big Pinterest loop? (A Google image search finally took me to the original.)

One of the first posts I really delved into after my hiatus was Kal Barteski’s on Pinterest Etiquette.  She conveyed what I have wanted to say for awhile in such a well-thought out & organized way.  As I delved deeper into issues evolving around Pinterest, reading article after article on Monday, I realized how the above is really just the tip of the iceberg.

You know what I mindlessly accepted without giving proper thought? 

Pinterest’s Terms of Use:

You acknowledge and agree that you are solely responsible for all Member Content that you make available through the Site, Application and Services. Accordingly, you represent and warrant that: (i) you either are the sole and exclusive owner of all Member Content that you make available through the Site, Application and Services or you have all rights, licenses, consents and releases that are necessary to grant to Cold Brew Labs the rights in such Member Content, as contemplated under these Terms; and (ii) neither the Member Content nor your posting, uploading, publication, submission or transmittal of the Member Content or Cold Brew Labs’ use of the Member Content (or any portion thereof) on, through or by means of the Site, Application and the Services will infringe, misappropriate or violate a third party’s patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret, moral rights or other proprietary or intellectual property rights, or rights of publicity or privacy, or result in the violation of any applicable law or regulation...

Member Content:

By making available any Member Content through the Site, Application or Services, you hereby grant to Cold Brew Labs a worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, royalty-free license, with the right to sublicense, to use, copy, adapt, modify, distribute, license, sell, transfer...and otherwise exploit such Member Content only on, through or by means of the Site, Application or Services.

Have you really thought about what this is saying?

Did you know Pinterest actually downloads full-size copies of images onto their servers?  This means even if you delete a pin, it still exists on their site.  All those pins I deleted because I wanted to be better, they didn't go anywhere.  They just don't show up on my boards any longer.  I still receive updates, on pins I know I have deleted, saying "so & so repinned your pin".

Pinterest is great exposure though, right? 

That's what I thought.  I thought I was doing the artists & photographers I love a favor by pinning their work.  Now I am not so sure (read over the terms of use again).  I'm actually a little sick with guilt the more I learn. 

A single pin can generate more traffic to a site than a year’s worth of Google searches.  Wow.  Unfortunately, it is not always driven to the deserving source.  As more companies realize this, they will follow the trend to plagiarize for their own self interest; it's imperative to quell the exploitation before it gets even more out of hand.

What is happening now?

Pinterest recently provided a code to allow websites to "opt out" of pinning.  While I appreciate they are actually responding, I'm not sure how I feel about this.  Why do creators have to opt out?  Shouldn't people be opting in.  This is obviously more about protecting the infringer rather than the creator.

I know this is really complicated – I’m still sifting through it myself -- & it is easy to discard.  What’s the big deal?  If you put your stuff on the internet, you should expect people to steal/borrow/repost it.  Yaddayadda.  I know what a lot of the response will be, & this is frightening.  It shows a huge lack of integrity & only perpetuates misinformation.  In a generation that is becoming increasingly (& amazingly) digital, among the uprisings of social medias, let’s slow down & think.

When the common reaction is to brush it aside & just keep pinning, tweeting, & FBing on autopilot, think about what this really means & who it affects.  This isn’t just about crediting appropriately (though that is important); it is about questioning the exploitation (Pinterest’s own words) of the amazing work of artists, designers, writers, bloggers, & small shop owners just trying to etch out a living – as well as any of YOU who share your own ideas, thoughts, photos, & content on the internet.

I'm sure a lot of this is unclear, & I only brushed across a few of the issues.  Most of the facts I have gathered are from the following articles.  I didn’t want to regurgitate their hard work & researched information, so I urge you to read these.  Obviously, they have given me a lot to think about.

Is Pinterest a Haven for Copyright Violations? by GreekGeek.

Pinterest.com and Copyright by Sean Locke

Post No Bills by AndreaWrote

It might be strange how passionate I have become over the issue of intellectual property; I am not trying to etch out a living in design, art, photography, or even blogging.  Any of my dabblings are purely hobby-based; but I know how much time, energy, & heart goes into creating something, so it pulls at me.

The other night, I told Dave I really want this generation to surprise me.  I can't help but see a lot of laziness & apathy in the general masses, heightened by our attachment to digital communities & identities.  It's the absolute digital age.  See how amazing it is!  Look at everything we have at our fingertips!  Let's not waste it.

Take a stand.  Think.  Do something.

I love the motto Kal seems to be embracing in her intellectual property initiatives, so I will share it here:

STAND UP & DO BETTER.

I hope we will,

& I hope we stand up & demand others (like Pinterest, Facebook & the like) to DO BETTER TOO.

hello again! & my current favorite fresh juice

I hope you are all doing well & are happy!

It has been really nice to take time away from the world of social media & get in touch with myself.  I wasn't "perfect" by any means & did need to access many online sources for work & school, but what a nice two weeks I have spent re-prioritizing, allowing myself to be a little more self-centered, & embracing the real world. 

Checking in with myself has helped me find a sense of balance again, & I am anxious to cradle & nurture this moving forward.

~

The past two weeks have been a lot about nourishing myself in many ways.  Obviously one of those ways is through good, fresh food.

I debated, for some time, over getting a juicer.  Shortly after the holidays, I decided to put a couple gift cards (as well as a 20% off coupon) toward a simple, little Waring Pro JEX328.

I am really happy with it.

It is the same one Michelle uses in her adorable video on Squam, if you want to see it in action.

It does not have the heftiest motor, so it isn’t the best for greens; but it works, & cleanup is a breeze.  I generally wash it right after juicing.  One of my hesitations – along with price – over getting a bigger, fancier juicer was the maintenance involved.  Keep in mind, cleaning a blender first thing in the morning is inundating to me, so the fact I do not mind cleaning this each morning says a lot.

Juice can be a really nice way to flush your system or give you a little boost on those days you need a quick delivery of concentrated nutrients.  I was juicing every day the first week of my detox; now I do not juice every day, but I’m moving more & more in that direction.  I am probably juicing at least 3 or 4 times a week & have been mixing some of the pulp in with Eisley's food.

For those of you with a juicer, I suggest the following juice.  It is simple, in line with the season, & my current favorite.

• 1 small sweet potato
• 1 – 2 Granny Smith apple(s)
• 3 – 4 carrots

Chop apple, carrots, & sweet potato & press through a juice extractor.  Stir & enjoy immediately.

notes:

Fresh ginger is a nice touch.  Sometimes I will throw a 1-inch piece into the juicer along with the above.

I am fairly particular about apples & lean toward Pink Ladies or Honeycrisps for snacking.  For juicing however, I really like juicy, tart & green Granny Smiths.

Sometimes, I peel the sweet potato & apples, which is not necessary, but I wonder if it will help preserve the life of my juicer.  Thoughts on this?

**Affiliate links used; to read more about affiliate links, go to my FAQs page.

blogging / thoughts on daily posting, a detox / & a yoga mat cleaner for you

 I used to think I had to post every day when I first began blogging.  Then I tortured myself (& still fret over it sometimes) with one of the most common "successful blogging" tips: whether or not you post daily, be consistent.  Find a schedule & stick to it.  We owe it to our readers. 

What I think we owe readers are quality posts.  My inspiration does not run like clockwork.  Sometimes it is there; other days not.  I prefer to take time, thinking about my photos & not rushing through the words, forcing a post out.  This means I do not really have a regular posting schedule.  It may not be the best method if you are trying to make your blog successful in the way many are (trying to drive traffic to it), but it feels more authentic to me.

I have also realized -- other than a couple exceptions -- I would prefer to not have to stay caught up daily on the blogs I read.  In other words, I wish most bloggers didn't post every day.  Full disclosure: if I have to "read" your blog everyday, I scan it more than actually read it.  Unless I want to be tethered to my computer more than I already am, I simply don't have time to really absorb every bit every single day.  I assume most of you don't either.  This is one reason why I lean toward shorter posts myself.

Most of us stay pretty busy between all of our responsibilities.  I like to do more in my free time, not surf more.  I love reading blogs & blogging myself, & these are two ways I like spending some of my free time, but it is so easy to get sucked in & distracted.  I need to study; I love to climb & workout; I have recently increased my yoga practice; I ordered piano sheet music over the weekend; & last week, I even started a sketch/musings journal-of-sorts.

Sadly, it has also become difficult to differentiate my online friends from those who simply contacted me in the early stages of their blogging lives to increase their readership.  I feel like I've lost touch with some of those I thought were friends. 

When I get too caught up in virtual living & online social life, I miss out on the real essence of life.  While I'm fretting over who my friends are & getting distracted by pins, links, & staying caught up, I miss out on real people & real experiences.

I still love blogging & many of the amazing people I have met through this crazy medium.  I don't intend to end it.  I have developed real, authentic relationships too; though I'm just not sure which those are right now.  I am simply trying to be honest & hope I don't offend anyone.  This next decision wasn't easy.  For the next two weeks, while I am doing my dietary detox, I am going to include a digital detox as well.  I will still be answering emails & phone calls if you need to reach me; but I will not be reading blogs or blogging myself.  (This vlog, answering questions about myself, will be on Tuesday Trainer at Lindsay's List this week.)  I will not be Pinning or FBing.  I don't tweet.  I need to clear my head & reassess my online presence & interests.

I want to spend more time studying, climbing, turning real pages, scribbling actual ink into notebooks, walking with Eisley, talking to Dave, "tickling the ivory", & bending into more downward-facing dogs on my new mat (a thoughtful gift from Dave).

On that note, I leave you for a couple weeks, with a simple recipe that I hope will inspire you to get offline & onto your mat.

I have always loved my Gaiam cleaner & realized I had nearly everything on hand (other than witch hazel, which is inexpensive) to make my own.  It's a nice way to keep your mat clean, fresh, & smelling calming yet invigorating.

• 1/4 cup witch hazel*
• 1/4 cup distilled water
• ~20 drops essential oils (total) of your preference

I used, in the following order:

lavender oil (calming)

eucalyptus oil (uplifting)

tea trea oil (cleansing, antimicrobial)

Mix all ingredients in a small, opaque, 4 oz bottle with a spray top.  Use, as needed, to clean your mat by spritzing directly on & wiping with a clean, damp cloth or old t-shirt.  *Because there is alcohol in the witch hazel, I worry about drying out my mat.  After using the cleaner, I usually rinse my cloth & wipe my mat down with water.  For a deeper cleanse, I will let the cleaner sit for a few minutes before wiping off.  Be sure to let your mat dry fully before rolling it.

less waste / personal spaces / writing

I am smitten by handwriting.  Have you ever noticed how certain pens or pencils make your handwriting rock?  It might be neat & even, or curvy & playful, or accented & bold.  It's all about the ergonomics of the pen, how the ink flows, & your own personal style.

I am mildly obsessed -- & inevitably particular -- about the pens & pencils I choose for writing.  For general writing & note taking, I go with a super fine tip -- not your typical "micro", which is often mislabeled on even a 0.7mm -- I mean something close to an oft hard-to-find 0.25mm.

 

It is ridiculous how head over heels I am about Pentel's Mechanical Drafting Pencil.  I use a 0.3mm in both my planner & workout journal.  It felt like a splurge when Dave treated me to not one but two.  It almost felt silly spending so much on a pencil.  Now I realize how much less wasteful it is, though this was not my initial incentive.  The selling point for us was the retracting pencil tip, which you can see (above) retracts when the clip is pressed.  I've had other fine-tipped pencils before, but the tips can get bent so easily.  If this happens, they are finished.  I actually dropped one of my Pentel GraphGear 1000s when the tip was out, & it did bend slightly.  Dave was able to straighten it.  We have never been able to save others, so I'd say this pencil is extremely durable.  It's also nice because our local art store sells the lead in varying degrees of hardness.

I have also become addicted to the Pentel Slicci 0.25mm gel ink pens, which have ink refills, but they are hard to find in black.  We also have to order this pen online.  

I decided to transition to a technical or art pen with ink you refill from a bottle.  My art supply store sells the Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph Pen.  Though I have heard mixed reviews, I decided to take a chance on the 0.3mm.

I am still getting a feel for this pen.  It is meant for artistic detail rather than writing, so it is not as smooth as other fine pens I have used.  It also writes slightly thicker than standard 0.3mm.  I have had to slow my writing, & it doesn't look as "pretty" right now.  I think it will come with practice though.  It is suited for heavy-weight paper (I use grid-ruled composition notebooks for class notes) as it has a tendency to bleed through regular paper, as you can see on the lined sheet (above*). 

A lot of people consider this a high maintenance pen, but it hasn't really felt like it to me.  You can't store ink in it for more than a couple days without using the pen; you must empty the ink completely using the ink cleaner if you plan to store it.  The tip will clog, which is nearly as expensive as the pen itself.  I use it daily, so storing it isn't an issue, & I leave a drop of ink cleaner in the lid as a sort of lubricant to protect against Arizona's lack of humidity drying it out.  Some complain of leaking, but I have not had problems.  I notice the tip bevel(?) is long; it takes several twists to secure it, plus I use the included crank to tighten it further.  Perhaps people have neglected this?  Since I bought it from our art store, I was lucky enough to get a short but thorough tutorial from the owner.  An instruction sheet is included, but I have not had to refer to it.  If there is any interest, & as I become more comfortable with the pen, I could do a short video on how it writes & some maintenance tips.  I only offer this, because I could not find much in the way of thorough reviews or examples using this rapidograph pen when I was considering it.  It was hard to spend $30+ on a pen I was afraid I would hate.  It has been worth it though.

Another less wasteful option are fountain pens, which seem less expensive & are, perhaps, less maintenance, but I'm not sure how I write with one.  I imagine it being similar to a roller-ball pen (hate), which makes my handwriting messy.

*If you click on the pen photos, it will take you to a new window where you can zoom in for a closer look.

**I (or Dave) paid for these products, & all opinions expressed here are my own.  Affiliate links used; to read more about affiliate links, go to my FAQs page.

***This is part of a series I am doing while we strive to embrace a simple life & home.  We are committing to analyze & consider every item in & coming into our home, the ultimate goal being to come to as close to a zero waste home as possible & comfortable.

Detoxing & Seeking Balance

I sort of feel 'blah'.

We were at the climbing gym last night, & I only did a few problems.  I could have fallen asleep on the bouldering pads.  I'm still adjusting to my new schedule, with classes starting recently, which probably contributes to my physical blahs.  Why not just clean everything up while I'm at it?

Over the holidays my diet was really clean.  Interesting I wasn't as consistant once January rolled around.  I am still eating clean but not as balanced as feels the best.

source: whole living

I came across this 21-day detox plan on My New Roots, earlier this month.  I felt great at the time -- & didn't need to recover from the holidays -- but I pinned it anyway.  Now I think I could use it.  I am not really a fan of juice-only fasts/cleanses, so this detox works for me.  It also seems pretty flexible, which is perfect.  Sarah B. emphasized it "is not about deprivation, but centers around a plant-based diet loaded with flavour, colour, & vibrant, seasonal foods."

I am not stressing over following it exactly but using it as a guideline more than anything.  I have brussels sprouts roasting for tomorrow as we speak, which aren't part of week 1.  We'll see what shows up in our CSA share this week & center everything around those fruits & vegetables.

Hopefully I will start to feel more energized, recovered from workouts, better rested, & trim up a bit.

About Me

When I switched blogs, I wasn't sure what to say about myself.  I was focused on recreating this space: customizing my layout, trying my hand at basic graphic design, committing to being more selective about what I posted, & trying to figure out what that would be.

I was sort of reinventing myself as well.  We had recently moved to a new state, I had decided I wanted to go back to school, while committing to train to boulder harder.  I guess I should have just said those things.  I'm sorry, because it was rude not to introduce myself.

I have finally created an About page, so if you'd like to know a little more about me & my intentions with this blog, check it out.  There is quite a bit of information, but I have tried to organize it; this way, you can go through it section by section & don't have to read it all at once.  It will be a continually evolving page, as I'm continually evolving myself.  Please ask questions, so I am better able to form it.

I hope you like it!

on belay / Bouldering & Camping in Red Rocks

I would like to tell you I went to Vegas a couple weekends ago to boulder & crushed it.

Instead, what I felt like most of the time was curling up with Eisley.

Seriously, she crawled in the bag!  This is how resistant she is to lying in the dirt.

I simply wasn't climbing like I thought I would -- like I know I can -- & I was SO unhappy with myself.  I went there expecting to throw down a couple harder projects -- sandstone is my favorite to climb after all -- but the rock put me in my place.  I beat myself up (inside) most of the time.  Why am I sucking?!!  Finally, a thought occurred: maybe I'm being a little harsh on myself.  Remember my vlog about dealing with failure?  This trip I was not content throwing myself at a problem over & over, getting shut down on the same move but knowing I was getting stronger for trying.  Nope, not even a little.  I wanted to send something "hard"; so how was I going to deal with the fact I wasn't?

There are just times when your core doesn't feel all that strong, right ladies?

photo credit: David Finch

Some days 100% isn't your actual 100%.  Sometimes, you can give it everything but might have to accept, it's not happening today.  Realistically, I probably should have been going easy on my body & not straining it by bouldering.  On top of the core issue, my left shoulder had been fighting back & one of my fingers was sore from a climb at the gym.  We had already planned to go, so I was just going to push through & be mindful of my body while climbing.

photo credit: David Finch

Even though I didn't send my projects, I also didn't return from our trip with an injury.  I think part of dealing with failure is knowing when to listen to your body & accept there is tomorrow to try again.  If I do it (training) right, I'm only going to get stronger.  The boulders aren't going anywhere.  While we were there, we were already making plans to return in April, if not sooner.  This really helps me deal with failure: knowing I can return, & gathering the right information, so I know what to work on before we go back.

Dave bouldered much stronger & couldn't be closer to sending his slopey traverse project.

He can do it in two parts -- 1)going all the way across & 2)moving into the crack to top out -- he just needs to link it together.

My frustration didn't spoil our time by any means.  We were still climbing after all, plus camping is always refreshing & re-energizing.

Red Rock Campground is the most developed campsite I have ever stayed at.  We usually dirt bag it: no camp grill or benches, middle of nowhere...dig a hole, you know.  We were mere yards from an outhouse -- we actually had an outhouse -- which was equipped with solar-panels & lights!  Sort of strange.  Honestly, we prefer a more isolated, primitive setting, but this is the only option for camping in this area.  It's pretty nice though; for $15 a night, it better be.

To keep prep & clean up minimal, I made tinfoil dinners for each night from all of our CSA vegetables before we left.  I used to stick with the standard carrot, onion, & potato TFD; but I've realized nearly any vegetable will work -- even greens -- so everything I threw in, we already had on hand.  Bok choy & cabbage have been some of my favorite additions in the past.  This time we had onion, sweet potatoes, kohlrabi (so yum), & carrot.  I added a couple large collard leaves & sliced fennel to mine & crumbled vegetarian Field Roast sausages in Dave's.  Add a little seasoning, & you really can't go wrong with TFDs after an active day outdoors.  Rather than cook Eisley's food beforehand, I even made TFDs for her: ground turkey, sweet potato, & carrot.  Spoiled much?

We only bouldered in Red Rocks at the Crafts Boulders, but it is also known for amazing sport routes & stellar multi-pitch crags.  Maybe we'll take more gear with us in April...maybe sooner, because it's been snowing in Flagstaff again.  Guess our break from winter is over.

soundbites / January Lounge Influence

I came across a new favorite artist, Eliza Doolittle, & I am smitten.  She obviously derives a lot of her inspiration from soulful music with a lounge-style vibe; she puts her own creative, upbeat spin on it though, & I can't get enough of her.  These are my two favorites:

Download 11 Pack Up

Download 04 Skinny Genes

I created an Eliza Doolittle station on Pandora & have been pretty happy with what turns up.

Lenka is on there too.  I'm sure you've heard The Show, (love this).  Have you seen Moneyball, yet?  There is the most adorable cover of this song in a touching scene between Kerris Dorsey & Brad Pitt.  I'm into Lenka's swanky Trouble is a Friend, & Everything At Once is pretty sweet & upbeat too; I could see myself adding it to a workout mix.

I also added Kimbra & a couple others to my Pandora station.

Any new music you love?

Winter Hydration + Brew Your Own Tea with Fresh Cardamon & Clove

Whether it is for sipping a warm cup over weekend brunch, ducking in for a mid-day snack, or settling in to work remotely, I love finding quaint, local coffee shops.  Actually, I love tea shops & dearly miss The Tea Grotto in Salt Lake, but a local coffee shop will do (since it usually has good tea too).

Even though I love coffee, I consider it a treat & only have it occasionally.  I really only drink water: water with lemon, water with cucumber (in the summer), plain water, water flavored with herbs (tea), ice-less water. 

It's true: I do not like ice in my water.  It feels really uncomfortable, like it is too shocking to my system.  An exception might be on a blazing hot day.  Even then, I don't want ice; I just don't want warm water. 

It is difficult for me to want to drink cold water throughout the day when the weather is really cold.  Earlier this winter, I was not hydrating enough & I could tell, so I have had to make a special point of drinking more.  For those of you who also find it tough to keep hydrated during the winter months, this is what I have found works for me:

The key is starting the day right & having water as soon as I get out of bed.  Like I mentioned, it's hard for me to drink cold water when it's cold outside -- especially in the morning -- so I drink room temperature water or might even put the kettle on & have a warm cup with a little lemon juice before I even start thinking about breakfast or a pre-workout snack.  The lemon water is especially great for detoxifying & flushing the system first thing in the morning.

Before I leave the house for the day, I brew a cup of tea in my to-go mug.  It isn't anything fancy.  Dave got it years ago on a trip to Yellowstone with his dad, but it seems I've somehow managed to claim it as my own.  I really love the look of those adorable, ceramic "to-go" style cups, but they are heavier than I want to carry while busing/walking; plus I love the bright green, & my cup makes me think of Dave throughout the day.

As far as teas go, I am pretty open & like variation, but rooibos is my favorite.

I remove the tea bag only if it is a tea that becomes bitter from over-steeping (green, white, black).  I sip my tea all morning then simply refill my cup with water from a fountain the rest of the day.  It might not be the most ideal "water bottle", but I find I drink more, & more often, with it versus my Klean Kanteen right now.

I enjoy the hint of tea that lingers in the water, filtering through the Rooibos satchel.  If flavored water isn't  your thing though, rinse your cup a few times to get rid of any leftover flavor.

When I have a little extra time or am looking for a special treat, I brew fresh spices, like cardamon & ginger, in my tea.  My good friend, Amanda, showed me how to make what she calls "Yogi Tea" a couple years ago.

• 10 oz water
• 3 whole cloves
• 4 whole green cardamon pods, gently cracked
  
• 1/2 stick cinnamon
• 2 small slices of fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp black tea or tea of choice* (I am partial to Irish Earl Grey)
• 1/2 cup milk (homemade almond milk is nice & creamy), optional
  
• honey or other sweetener, to taste (optional)
  

In a small pot, bring water to a gentle boil.  Add whole spices**, cover & simmer 15 - 20 minutes.  Remove from heat, add the tea, cover again & allow to steep 2 - 3 minutes or more depending on your tea.  Stir in milk & sweetener.  Strain into a cup.  Enjoy.

notes

* You can put loose tea leaves in a tea satchel, mesh ball, or tied in cheese cloth; use a regular tea bag; or even just throw loose leaves in (if they are not smaller than your strainer holes) since you will be straining it.  I use about 1 tsp loose tea.

**You can add the spices directly to the water (loose) & strain later or you can tie them in cheesecloth & allow to simmer in the cloth for easy clean up.

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Other tips for staying hydrated in winter include eating soups & adding hydrating supplements like chia seeds to your smoothies, dressings, etc.

*We have not had a chance to pull the photos from our cameras, so the post about our Red Rock trip will be up on Monday.