Outta Shape.

A young mom recently said that, having had her first child, she felt that “the days are long, but the years are short.” It was an interesting and insightful comment and it made me think about my experience of time and how wacky it has been over the last year and a half, since launching my own business. I feel the inverse — “the days are short, but the years are long.” (Which is curious, since so many entrepreneurs liken building a business to having a child.) I’ve mentioned this before, but I often feel as though I’m sitting at the top of a roller coaster hill at the beginning of each day, and Mr. Magpie and I just look at each other and say: “Hang on, toots, see you at the end.” And then it’s go go go go go go go go with hardly enough time to eat or breathe or understand how I am feeling until 6 or 7 PM or, lately, 9 or 10 PM at night. But on the flipside, we get to the end of a month and we’re like, “Holy.crap. This was a long, hard month. How has it only been a month? It feels like we’ve been working for a trillion years on end without break.”

I don’t mean this to come off as “woe is me.” I’m keenly aware of how fortunate I am to have had the opportunity to start this business and financially support our lifestyle during this long period of taking no salary (see ya, savings). And, I know lots of working ladies out there who work even longer days without some of the amenities I have at my disposal (hello, making my own schedule, working from home, taking my dog for 3 walks a day whenever I want to, working alongside my husband, etc.)

At any rate. Like so many of you, whether you’re balancing children and a job or a demanding job and a workout regimen or multiple “extracurrical” demands, I’ve had to make sacrifices in some areas of my life to accommodate my intense work schedule. I’m sad to say that my former commitment to exercise has totally fallen by the wayside :/ So bad. I console myself by reminding myself that I typically walk my dog 2 or 3x a day for a mile a walk, so at least I’m getting some activity. But running? Gym time? Yoga? Cycling? Pffffft. LADEEZ, if I get a little parcel of quiet time, I’m going to be reading, taking a hot shower/bath, or relaxing in front of the TV. Because I am TIRED. I literally don’t know how I could muster up the energy to run after feeling like I’m run over by a freight train every day.

[Goody-two-shoes-on-my-shoulder]: But, Magpie, you could get up an hour earlier and go for a run then.

[Me]: But I am so TIRED! I need the sleep.

[Goody-two-shoes-on-my-shoulder]: OK, then make a commitment to close up shop at 5 PM to take a little run.

[Me]: No matter what you say, I’m not gonna do it, but I’m gonna feel bad about it.

I’ve been thinking lately that adding some new workout gear to my wardrobe may drive motivation in this area and force me to get myself to the gym. And I’ve been mega into Kourtney Kardashian’s exercise wardrobe — if you follow her on Snapchat or Insta, you’ll know she’s super fit and I’m very jealous of the idea of someone coming to my house to train me every day. Hello, mom of THREE!?!?!?!

Goddess. My KK inspired workout picks:

+Retro Nike sweatshirt ($70);

+Zella sheer panel leggings ($64);

+APL running shoe (love the heathered gray color — $164);

+Athleta cozy wrap sweatshirt thing ($108 — love it in the gray);

+Adidas black hat ($23);

+Nike leggings ($55 — love the logo on the waistband, so 90s, so in right now) and matching sports bra ($45);

+Lululemon sports bra ($52 — heads up, they run small);

+Zella leather-effect leggings ($64);

+Alo moto leggings (celeb pick — $110);

+Athleta half-zip — love the quilted detailing! tres chic, esp. in the black ($118);

+Nike jersey tank (love the t-back!, $35) — OR check out this seriously sexy one for $60;