5 really good reasons to get up at 5:30AM on your first day of summer vacation:
- My yoga studio is a 10 minute WALK from Karen’s!!!!!!!!
- Best friends
- Tanner
- Savasana
- A wide open day for playing!!!
Emily and I had planned to go to 5:30PM yoga, but when we found out Tanner was only teaching 6:30AM, she convinced me it would be worth it to get up and go. It SO WAS!! I actually woke up naturally before my alarm – hello body clock! – so getting up was very easy. And the sun was already rising!!
I can’t believe I live 3 blocks from my studio. So fun!!!!! I walked there in 10 minutes – it was gorgeous. Great way to start the day for sure!
Yoga was awesome. Flowing. Sweating. Mind-bending. Relaxing.
I didn’t eat anything before I left, but I did spike my water bottle with half a bottle of Gatorade leftover from our move. I use to shun sports drinks, thinking they were a waste of calories, but it’s quite amazing how much they really do for you during a workout. I definitely could not have ran my half marathon without them, and today’s yoga class was definitely enhanced by the little boost of glucose.
I walked back home after yoga and woke up Karen for breakfast! Welcome back oatmeal 
I’m not used to making it on a gas stove with a Calphlon pot – I miss my old kitchen! But it still turned out good. Karen doesn’t like fruit and did not want banana in her oats. GASP! I ended up just mashing half a banana into my cooked version.
For two:
- 2/3 cup oats, 2/3 cup milk, 2/3 cup water
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese (Breakstone’s) stirred in at end
- Vanilla, pinch salt, cinnamon
A side of plants!
I topped mine with TJ’s Sunflower Butter and a sprinkle of Bear Naked Apple Pecan Trail mix
Bananas on the bottom
The usual
My hair is so long it interrupts blog photos!! Getting it cut today!! Just a wee bit.
Karen always wants me to photograph her plants so here they are!
Full speed ahead!!!!!! Places to go. People to see.
{ 58 comments… read them below or add one }
I don’t know. 5:30 still sounds too early for me
Happy first day of freedom!
I would love to live that close to yoga- or even just my gym!
Lovely way to start the day! How awesome that the yoga studio is so close!! Enjoy the rest of your day
10mins!? Wow, that is good! My nearest ‘gym’ (hardly…)is a good 20mnute drive
Enjoy your freedom!
5:00?
That seems so early to me. Haha.
Enjoy your day!
No fruit with oats? Gasp indeed!
Have fun today doing whatever the heck you want!
I never understand why people don’t like or have a hard time eating fruit. I love fruit! I have to be careful not to eat TOO MUCH fruit!
I am totally with Karen! Not only do I not like fruit, but I have an all-around anti-sweet palate!
I recently started to make “savory” oats a few times a week. I’ll just make plain oats with a hint of salt and pepper, then add a diced soy sausage, a scrambled egg, or some low sodium soy sauce for more flavor. It’s also great “risotto” style with a diced onion or pepper sauteed before you add the oats and water.
After getting out of bed at 5 a.m., it’s amazing how your body just wakes up. I went to my boot camp class this morning at 5:30….so glad to be done with my work out for the day! Have a fun 1st day of vacation
5:30 is too early for me. I got up at 8:30 and was exhausted.. I lifted weights and ran yesterday as well as babysitting all afternoon… tired to the max!
Enjoy your first day of summmmmer!!
Sometimes I love/hate my body clock. I went to bed late late last night and still woke up at 8 am. Have a great first summer day. These days are the best!
A full day to play- love it! Enjoy! You have been busy.
Hahaha I love that about your hair! Don’t get it cut, I think it’s fine! Have fun at yoga
Wei-Wei
Doesn’t like fruit!
sounds like a great start to the day!
have fun playing today!
Sounds like a great day! Enjoy!
oh man, enjoy your first day of summer vacation! gotta admit, i’m a little jealous, but you’ve TOTALLY earned this!
Maybe I’ll give waking up at 6am a try
!!
I agree on waking up early on free days…more time to have fun!
Yoga in the early morning sounds like a great start to your day!
You seem extra perky!
It makes me smile to see someone having a good day.
CONGRATS on being done Kath!! You must feel so. much. better. Very impressive waking up so early on your first day off!! Waking up for a fun work out with a friend is much nicer than waking up to go to work though, no??
I never comment on your blog, but I love it! I just wanted to say that I hope you enjoy your new freedom and have a great day! Oh and tell Karen I love her condo, from what we’ve seen of it. Very pretty!
Wow you wake up early! I’m glad today has been great though!
Congrats on starting your summer vacation and being DONE!!
I have 1.5 days left of work before we move and I start graduate school – so I’m starting my own journey soon too! You’ve been an inspiration!
The Apple Pecan Trail mix looks REALLY good! I’ll have to try to find it!
You’re so lucky that your yoga studio is so close!
Enjoy the rest of your first day of summer!
Enjoy your day!
whenever i make my oatmeal at home i have to make do without putting bananas in them for others. what’s wrong with them?!?!
My husband never puts fruit in his oatmeal either. i just don’t get it. banana is a must!
sounds like it’s been a great start to your day! hope it only gets better!
No banana’s in the oatmeal??? The horror! That is what makes it awesome. Is there a big difference between doing yoga at home with a video vs. going to the gym?
If you’re talking about hot vinyasa yoga, most definitely.
Cold YMCA yoga – no.
Hi Kath! Just a question… a nutritionist told my marathon training group that you should never dilute Gatorade because it no longer provides the same benefit when you mess with the chemical makeup…. but obviously you are an expert on this subject too
so I was wondering your opinion about this!
Good question!!!
For hard-core running and hard-core sweating, I would NOT dilute it. It’s its concentration for a reason!!
For a little boost during a more low-key workout, dilution should be fine.
No banana in the oatmeal? WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TOO? very glad you managed to still fit it into your breakfast! that also must be so amazing being so close to the studio! you’re right to take advantage of it !!! xx
AM yoga’ the best. It gets out every sinlge kink that was or even could have shown up over the night. Your new freedom’s off to a great start!
How does she not like fruit?!! All fruit, or just certain kinds? This boggles my mind!
just stumbled upon your blog, hello new friend. i know we’re friends already because i completely agree that there’s nothing better than yoga and oatmeal to start your day. xoxo
Amen to the sports drink! I always have a bottle on hand for hiking during the summer months because it gives just the right boost of energy. And that’s aside from the electrolytes.
Your breakfast looks lovely and what an *awesome* way to start your day!
Once you get used to a gas stove you will never want to go back to electric! Happy vacation
Wahoo! Yay for summer break!
Too cool to live just down the road from a yoga studio!
Those oats look delicious..congrats on being done!
oh I really need to try sunflower butter!
How awesome is that to have a yoga studio, your fave nonetheless, minutes from your house!
Glad you had a great session. And I hear ya – I wouldn’t have made it through my half without the gatorade!
I love getting up early on days off. I feel so much more productive, even if the productivity is all fun stuff! The best is when you don’t set an alarm and you wake up early fully rested. Maybe I’ll try gatorade during my next half.
That’s so nice you’re in walking distance!! I had warm oatmeal again yesterday and even though it’s summer, it’s still comforting to have in the morning
when you cook your oats with chia seeds, do you cook them in right from the beginning or do you add them in at the end?
At the beginning, so they will soak up liquid!
Love the look of dried apples..you should call that oatmeal “fruit on the bottom.”
I TOLD YOU it would be worth it!!
Even so, I really appreciate you getting up so early to go with me! xoxo.
I am seriously impressed that you got up at 5:30am on your first day of freedom! I can’t get up that early on a regular day. I love your oatmeal bowls and every time I see them it reminds me to print off some of your oatmeal receipes. Alas, I never remember to but one day I might!
Getting up early is better when your on your own schedule and doing something fun. An early workout is also the perfect way to start the day.
I always feel so much better after a work-out that I enjoy doing it first thing in the morning. Sets the tone for a great day!
It’s definitely worth it to get up early to go to yoga. There’s something so calming about doing yoga as the sun is rising.
Happy first day of summer holiday!
enjoy the day!
I hope you had a wonderful first day of freedom!!
Must be fun getting creative with a new location for your food photography =)