New year, new wellness aspirations...

Thank you to you all for the love on last week's post about how I'll continue to blog!

*beams*

I really appreciate it, and it's good to know that the content I produce here is meaningful to others. Besides, you know, just me. ;-) I'll put up posts when I can, and just allow myself to be write about whatever is inspiring me that week or that season. That's how I work best, and I'm glad to know that this still brings value to all of you.

*group hug*

Right now, it still be January, I'm still in resolution mode. I wrote earlier this month about faith/family and dance goals, which I think fit into the larger picture I'm about to get into. Wellness encompasses a lot of different component parts, I think, and those are:

(1) physical,
(2) emotional,
(3) spiritual

Right? My birthday is in mid-February, and each year that goes by it causes me to re-examine a lot of different aspects of my life. Faith and family wise, I'm very happy. I'm hard at work on my list of goals for the year, and it's going pretty well. Not perfect, but pretty well. Dance is omnipresent in my life, also quite happily, and that's also heading along on it's steady course. Within that larger physical wellness realm, I've been thinking that I'd like to make some changes. I'm not at all unhappy with my physical form, but there are ways in which I'd like to do better.

I used to meal plan quite diligently, and the stress of the fall combined with the holidays has led to a complete meltdown in planning and preparing healthy meals. This affects not only me, but the entire family. Now, would the kids prefer if it stayed this way? ;-) Yes, they would be very happy without me pushing fresh fruits and vegetables on them on a daily basis, but they don't have the broadest of perspectives on this! I've gotten back into meal planning and prepping, as well as weekly deliveries from our CSA, and perhaps I'll devote a whole post to this coming up, as I have a number of methods that I combine that work quite well for us. But that's definitely a good first step!

I've also become much more interested in physical fitness. I'm pretty active, that's where dance fills part of this category, but I also enjoy walking and taking fitness classes. Although I'm not looking to lose weight per se, I'd like to tone up and become a bit stronger. I have some specific things I'd like to achieve, and things I'd like to try to mix things up in my fitness routine.

You know. I'm being inspired, Holy Spirit moment here. 😂 Let's make this a wellness series that I'll continue throughout the end of January and February, leading up to Lent. This is sort of the intro post, and I can write separately about mealing planning and prep, fitness classes/gym stuff, and dance. I've even become more into increasing my water intake, so there will be a water post. And the aforementioned chalky protein shake experiments. YES! I'm very excited about this!

*delighted face*

If there is anything specific within these wellness topics I've mentioned you'd like me to touch upon, just leave those ideas in the comments, and I'd be happy to include them. I'd also love to hear about your own wellness goals this winter if you'd like to share them. Yay!

Thoughts while walking (or driving :))...

The Walk with Fr. Roderick

Hello to you all on this fine spring day! I'm super perky today, which is aided by the fact that I'm wearing a short sleeved top for the first time since September. And it's pink! Life is grand.

As I was driving in to work this morning, I was thinking. You know, about STUFF. I do that a lot. ;-) My little mind is always awhirl while I'm driving or walking by myself. Or when I'm in the shower. :0 Anytime my mind is allowed to wander from the task at hand, it will, it seems. At any rate, in the background I had on Fr. Roderick's The Walk podcast. As you already know, I completely adore that precious Fr. Roderick. I've been listening to his show The Break for, let's see...probably about 6 years now. In that neighborhood of time, at least. When he added in The Walk, I thought maybe it would be duplicated content just targeted at another audience, so perhaps it would be redundant to listen to both. I was wrong, and I happily subscribe to both shows.

The Break has a structure: he talks about current events both in his life and in the news, movies and TV shows, books that he's read, and then a segment that he calls "The Peculiar Bunch," in which he'll address a current Catholic topic. The Walk is totally different. It's complete stream of consciousness as he goes out for a walk to get some exercise. He just brings his audio recorder and chats with his audience about whatever is on his mind during that hour.

I *really* love this format, and I think that part of it is that I relate to it so much. This is pretty much how I write in this blog. :0 I know that there are blogs out there that are more polished and helpful than mine (AKA: better ;-)). And thank goodness for them, because we all benefit from them! But my approach to blogging has always been that this is an online journal that I choose to share with others. Sometimes I plan posts ahead of time, like the Catholic Book Club or the Church Triumphant posts. But usually, I just await inspiration each morning, and then write about that topic, whatever is on my mind in that moment.

And so, this morning I was listening to Father talk about some projects he's working on, and how they're not turning out the way he expected, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, right? God is always working in there. :) And he mentioned how there are so many things he's been able to do that he strove to achieve, but that there are so many others that he'd like to accomplish. As I listened, I related this back to my own life, which is such a pleasing byproduct of this type of informal style. There are LOTS of projects that I've always wanted to try (writing, podcasting...), and yet I often hesitate. I'm worried about...oh, let us count the ways, shall we?

(1) Time. I don't want things to take me away from Mike and the kids too much.

(2) Money. Some projects require a small investment in new equipment, and then I'll shy away from it, which is silly. I buy yarn, dance costumes and books with abandon, why shouldn't I invest in technology that will bring joy and meaning?

(3) Fear of failure. I really should have put this first. ;-) Because this really is a hindrance on me trying new things. Why do you think it took me *years* to work up the nerve to dance solo at a performance? And this is closely related to...

(4) Fear of looking stupid. :0 There it is. I really do fear this. A lot.

But life is short, you know? Not that we should proceed with things full steam ahead without fully thinking them through. But I shouldn't let surmountable fears hold me back so much. So maybe I'll try moving forward on a few projects I've always wanted to try. I'll keep you posted. ;-)

I'm glad that Fr. Roderick's show this week got me to thinking about these things. Do you brainstorm or otherwise wax poetic while you walk or drive? When is your most creative thinking time? Anytime there aren't little voices in the background asking you to assist them with wiping in the bathroom, you say? I can relate to that. :)

Tomorrow will be a DANCE POST! Make sure to head back over if you enjoy such shenanigans.

Real food - a Lenten quest

Happy Monday all! Although not technically part of my Lenten resolutions, I've been thinking a lot lately about self discipline with regard to food. Listening to Fr. Roderick talk about his Lenten pledge to simplify his life in terms of physical and emotional clutter, as well as his eating habits, inspired me. I also recently read a book that I highly recommend, Real Food by Nina Planck. While I don't see us moving to raw milk (maybe ever) or grass fed beef (at least not exclusively) the ideas in the book really motivated me. I don't think the extent to which my family (and Americans generally) relies on processed food ever fully registered with me until I read this book. When I thought "processed foods," I thought about Kraft mac & cheese with the orange powder. I didn't realize that nearly everything we consume is from a box or package of some sort, rather than being a food in its natural form. This was very eye opening for me.

I mentioned sometime recently that I was trying to lose about 6 pounds of final baby/weaning weight (don't laugh, I know my daughter is nearly 3 years old :)), as well as improve my cholesterol. I'm at a healthy weight for my height, it's true, but genetics and, increasingly, age are working against me. I want to make some healthy changes, improve my blood work numbers, and feel fitter and stronger.

And so I've been doing lots of reading and research. In the meantime, I've been working on those pesky 6 pounds, and in a month's time, I've lost 1.8 pounds.

*picture me making the "big whoop" finger circling motion*

I mean, that's still good. I've been making some healthier choices, snacking less, and exercising more. And by exercising I mean fun stuff. I'm not a gym person. I walk, dance, and lift hand weights while listening to podcasts. Nothing hardcore over here. And increased exercise is excellent for your cholesterol numbers.

But I'm ready to take things to the next level. I drew the line in the sand with my kids a few months ago, too. No longer are we making dinner for Mike and I, and "something else" for the two of them that usually involves zapping something in the microwave that came frozen from the store. We all eat the same home cooked meal. There has been lots of complaining, and sometimes no dessert for little ones who do not eat more than a forkful of something "so gross!", but they try things now. And they do not expect separate, inevitably highly processed, meals.

So here is what I am going to do: I signed up for the 10 Day Pledge over at 100 Days of Real Food. I start this Wednesday, March 14th. I'm taking time today and tomorrow to do some recipe planning, shopping, and research. I'm not going to eat processed foods for a full 10 days, and my family will come along for the ride as far as dinners are concerned.

What are we talking about when we say "processed foods?" Generally, you want to avoid:

Refined grains, like white flour and white rice.
Refined sweetners, like corn syrup, cane juice, Splenda (and company), and even sugar (though I'll be honest: I'm not completely cutting out sugar. That doesn't seem realistic to me).
Things out of a box, can or package that have more than 5 ingredients listed on the label.
Deep fried foods.
Fast food.

Here are the rules. I'm going to do my very best. I don't do the majority of the grocery shopping for our house, so I have some challenges there, but I'm making my own shopping trip tomorrow and will otherwise work with what we have.

Here is my shopping list (things we don't already have in our cupboard or freezer):

For Breakfasts:

Rolled oats, pumpkin, yogurt, bananas, and chia seeds to make Pumpkin Overnight Oats. Frozen berries to have on hand.

For Lunches:

Greek yogurt. String cheese. Maybe some crackers (made with 5 ingredients or less) if I can find some. Otherwise, going to be relying on leftovers from dinner, and salads (we always have lettuce, tomatoes and cheese in the house, and I make my own oil-based dressing).

For Dinners:

I'm going to buy the ingredients to make these 3 recipes for certain, and hope that we get more than one meal out of each:

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato and Apple Soup
The Best Pulled Pork in a Crock Pot!
Cuban Black Bean Patties with Pineapple Rice

I also love dishes with eggs, like frittata, which we always have the ingredients for, to pitch hit. 

For Beverages:

Sparkling water. Fresh lemon and lime. Half & half and honey (for tea). Also going to be exploring some herbal teas with my birthday gift card from Teavana. :0 Going to be brewing my own iced tea with this recipe.

One of the things that I'm really happy about is eliminating artificial sweeteners from my diet. I use those a LOT to flavor my tea and coffee, and they're in the Crystal Light type beverages that we tend to whip up. Not good.

I am SUPER excited about all of this, and will naturally document my experience right here on this blog. :) Who wants to join me?! Leave me a comment!

Trying to tone up, both physically and spiritually...

So, with the arrival of spring, I've been thinking more about getting into better shape. I still have the perpetual 8-10 lbs I'd like to lose to get to my ideal weight. But more importantly, I do want to just generally improve my physical fitness. I eat pretty well, and I'm fairly active, but I've slacked off really exercising in depth. I walk and dance weekly, but runs have been pretty sparse in recent months, and strength training downright unheard of. I feel a bit out of shape, and I'd like to remedy that, and drop a few unwanted pounds in the process.

So, now what? Sigh. I work full-time outside the home plus I have a small child, so time is at a premium. I'm not a gym person (don't have the money, or the inclination). I've been trying to renew my power walking at work during my lunch hour, which is when it's easiest for me to exercise. I also dragged my hand weights back out in the hopes of getting that in 2-3 times per week at home. I'm going to try that tonight, with Hank. We'll see how that goes. I hope we don't break anything.

I'm going to try and report in weekly on my progress, perhaps this will motivate me. I won't be saying what I actually weigh, not that it's atrocious or anything, I'm just way too vain for that. I can admit that openly :) All I'll say is that I have an average build and I've never been a size 0, nor will I ever see two 1's put together in my weight ever in my life. And I never will. I think my *bones* weigh more than that. We'll use my secret weight from yesterday as my starting point. *makes mental note* As of this morning, I've lost 2 ounces. Ugh. We'll get there. By the end of the summer I'd like to be at my ideal weight. I think that's reasonable. It's about 8 lbs. away.

In terms of spirituality, I've been trying to pray more. God is always in my thoughts, but I wasn't actively praying as much as I should. I've renewed my efforts in my morning offering, my daily rosary (at least 2 decades), spontaneous prayer throughout the day, and evening devotional time with my Bible.

I've been wanting a small purse-sized New Testament so that I could have that for anytime I wanted or needed the scriptures. Yesterday, on my way home from work I stopped off at the local Christian bookstore to peruse. They had lots of small New Testaments, but only 1 of the Catholic variety, the St. Joseph New American Bible, Vest Pocket Edition. It was exactly what I wanted, though a few dollars more than I'd planned on spending. It has a leather cover, instead of the paperback I was expecting. I ended up getting it, figuring the sturdier cover was better for getting stuffed in my purse anyway, and it's working out well. I already used it this morning when I arrived at work.

In other devotional news, my fellow (and favorite!) Catholic blogger Cam is having a rosary giveaway in honor of her new etsy store over at her blog. Enter A Woman's Place... rosary giveaway by leaving a comment, and/or check out her etsy store, Full of Grace Creations! She has some beautiful rosaries and rosary bracelets for sale.

Oh my aching head...

I had a wonderful weekend, but here I am again, it's Monday, and I'm feeling stuffy and miserable. I'll hit the highlights, and then blog more extensively tomorrow (Fat Tuesday!) when I can think a coherent thought.

On Friday evening, I *finally* managed to take pictures of my recent knitting and crochet projects. This is Christina's lap afghan:

And *drum roll*, Mike's famous hat:

I'm now working on a pair of socks for my mother-in-law. Good stuff.

Saturday, I did manage to sign up for the baby hat class at Jo Ann's, so I have that to look forward to.

And Sunday, sigh. Well, good things first. I got the following from my sweetie :)

I *adore* cookie cakes, they're my absolute favorite dessert in the world. That's right, I eschew decadent turtle cheesecake for a cookie with frosting plunked on top. Mike and I were also able to spend some nice time together, since my mom volunteered to watch Henry for us. And speaking of Henry...

Sunday morning, I was feeling tremendously tired and run down, and I knew that Henry has the same cold as I do. He was fine all morning, and then as we went to head out to Mass:

"ok honey, get your coat on for church."

"NO!"

Oh fabulous. He whined the whole way. When we got there, in full pout mode, and the kids were called up front for the children's liturgy of the word, he proclaimed that he didn't want to go. *double sigh*

"Are you sure, Honey? Now's your chance."

"NO!"

"There's still time, Hank. But once the kids go back, honey, it's too late. Do you want to go now?"

"NO!"

Ok, fine. Naturally, the instant the children disappeared into the sacristy and the lector got up to read the first scripture, Hank insisted that he wanted to go back.

"I'm sorry Honey, it's too late now."

"Oh, Oh Mommy. Oh! *bursts into sobbing tears*"

He cried, *hard*, for at least 20 straight minutes. Not cause a scene/tantrum cry, but genuine, real tears, sobbing like his heart was breaking crying. Eventually, I had to bring him to the back, where he whined that he wanted to go home. I managed to make him stay for communion and to pray afterwards, but at that point, I knew that my humiliation-free pass was coming to an end. Wisely, I chose to not tempt fate and we packed up and left. Not one of Hank's better Sundays.

And I'm still awaiting my beloved head coverings. And no mail today, blast!! I'll keep hoping. In the mean time, in addition to being sick, I went for a jog on Saturday (really, *really* trying to drop a few of these pounds that I've been wanting to get rid of) and although it went really well, I could barely walk on Sunday. Oh right, and today, I'm still in unbelievable pain. But I did feel great immediately afterwards, so I'll be sacrificing myself once again next weekend.

And today, as if to make everything better, I had 2 classes to teach in the morning. With a scratchy voice and walking as though I've been shot. But hey, I made it. Another class tomorrow, and then, please, please God, let this week get better...