50 Shades of Grey...Hair

Having just celebrate my 29th birthday and with my 30th looming around the corner, I realized that maybe I should start doing a little damage control. Having kids has already aged me long passed my years and given me an all-around tired finish. My metabolism has come to a screeching hault, I have too many grey hairs to count and with daily dark circles under my eyes, I've perfected "exhausted chic" so...what's next? Sure, thirty is the new twenty and fifty is the new forty...blah, blah, blah but right now I just feel...old. Daily squabbles with kids, never getting enough sleep and the constant beckoning of my to-do list has me spread a little thin and leaves me short on "me time". Sure, I could book a sitter, squeeze in a few spa treatments that would turn back the clock, start juicing, dieting, plucking, dying, and shaping if I had the money and time, but let's be real here, that's just not going to happen. Guess I have to go about it the old fashioned way.
So with a renewed fervor, I'll attempt to make small changes. Not just changes for the way I look but mostly, for the way I feel. First off, I've been working on getting better sleep and eliminating caffiene. It starts with knowing my body's clock and listening to it. That means when the Sandman arrives promptly at 9:30 nightly, I obediently hit it. No more meandering, cleaning or staying up to watch a little more TV but off to bed I go. This has made such a difference in my sleep!! I feel like I sleep deeper and stay asleep longer.
Secondly, I force myself to take a brisk walk or jog daily. I've been doing this for years but lately it's been easier to find excuses and slack off. But starting the day moving helps me stay more energized the rest of the day and gives me a little time to myself. I spend that thirty minutes or so reading or listening to music.
Lastly, I am doing my best to just go easy on myself, take things a little slower, stress less and just be. It's not going to really make a difference if all the laundry gets done or if dinner is made from scratch. What matters is that I have a healthy and happy family. And that starts with me!