Lately I’ve been having a difficult time falling asleep. I know this is partly because I’ve slacked off since I got home from Italy and haven’t been exercising much, but it’s still no fun to lie there tossing & turning. Last night, however, I fell asleep almost instantaneously. And that, my friends, is because yesterday was a BEACH DAY!

Living in Rhode Island means that fabulous beaches are only 45 minutes away – we are the Ocean State, after all. Yet the crappy weather that descended upon us for most of this summer meant that yesterday was my first official beach day of the summer. Even though it was late, it was perfect, and I even managed to get some exercise in! After basking in the sun for a bit, VeggaSis and I walked down to the water and meandered our way along the shoreline for a while before venturing into the ocean. It’s a little colder than usual this year, just because the weather’s been so wonky, but I love that moment when you submerge yourself and shiver once or twice before realizing that, despite the coldness, it feels absolutely wonderful. So VeggaSis and I swam parallel to the shore until we reached our “spot” on the beach, and I ain’t lyin’ when I say that it was quite a workout! I’m no swimmer, so my swimming muscle group was surprised to find itself in use. After our swim, we returned to the blanket and threw ourselves down for another bout of sunbathing. Bliss.

We returned home salty, sandy, and a little pink around the edges. It was the perfect end to the perfect beach day when I discovered this little guy waiting for me in the fridge:

VeggaDad thoughtfully saved the last of the Pineapple Right-Side-Up Cupcakes for me. I whipped up a batch a few days ago, and I think that this might be one of my favorite recipes from VCTOtW. I love the cake’s flavor; it’s got the perfect amount of sweet pineapple mixed with subtle spices. I was a little disappointed at how tiny and short these cuppies were, though; they barely rose and seemed slightly dense. Next time I’ll definitely fill the liners with a little more batter; Isa and Terry recommend filling them halfway to allow room for the filling, but I think I definitely could have gotten away with adding a little more. I might have to make less cupcakes to compensate, but I can deal with that. :)

Anyway, tonight I’m going to try an experiment. Obviously my swimming exertions of yesterday helped me fall asleep quickly and sleep well, but tonight I’ll try something different. This morning I found an email from Gaiam in my inbox, and it featured a link to Six Yoga Poses for Insomnia. So I’m going to give them a try before bed tonight, since I haven’t been doing enough yoga lately. To be honest, I’m a little skeptical, but we shall see. I’ll report back tomorrow. ;)

Ciao!