I'm Back...

Yes, it has been awhile since I have posted...

I am actually surprised at how long it has been...

Obviously, posting here took a back seat to what I call... LIFE.

2021 was the year of improvement...

Mainly, improving me - physically and mentally.

I, working with my doctor and a dietician, decided that I needed to make some changes.

And I did...

It took about 11.5 months, but I hit the weight goal that my doctor set for me.

64 pounds gone!

Lots of lower calorie recipes in the rotation.

Lifetime use of the MyFitnessPal app.

Yep - this is a journey.

Last November, we also joined the VR world and I have been doing SuperNatural workouts daily.

BIG GAME CHANGER

It helped me get off the last 6-7 pounds that were teasing me...

And so - 2021 was the year of improvement.

And I was successful.

So...

2022 is going to be the year of family.

I have decided to retire from my job of 25.5 years.

This will allow us to relocate back to the Cincinnati area to be closer to our kids and grandkids.

This is the priority.

This will take us most of our time in the next few months.

I am looking for the next adventure in our journey...

I have a lot of restaurant food pictures on my phone ready to share with you.

Perhaps in the spring?

Until then, stay safe, healthy and happy.

Namaste.

Trying Again...

So, I was doing pretty good earlier in the year with intermediate fasting and dropping some pounds...
Then June 11th happened.
Any I couldn't deal with everything at once, so it all came back on (and then some).

I'm still not over this summer...
I still have paperwork and stuff to deal with...

But - it is time to try again...
I can't let my health get completely out of control - that is why I lost my mom.
So, I am going back to what worked about 12 years ago...
It's time to count calories again.

As miserable as I will be, it will be nice to be healthy again.
To be able to ride my bike without getting winded.
To feel like I can go up and down the stairs without my knees hurting.

And it is time to get going again.

Today was Day 3...

And I need to celebrate that I have had three successful days!
Here's to 100 more...

Namaste.

2019

2019 has found me working on a few things:
> Organizing & Purging 
> Digital Scrapbooking
> Intermediate Fasting

I started out the year "focusing on joy".  Yes, Marie Kondo.
I didn't have much to go through as we purged A LOT before we moved north...
But I did have a few things that needed attention - mainly drawers!
 The junk drawer...
 The makeup drawer...
 The utility drawers...
You get the picture?

Here's one of the successes:

I did make a lot of progress with the drawers... Just have a cabinet and the top of a closet still to do.


Then, I got focused on digital scrapbooking...
My goal was to do six books in 2019 (one book per year) - I figured I could take two months to get one done and be on target to be done by the end of the year.
I guess I shouldn't admit that I would have to get 11 books done to get caught up?
Yeah, let's not go there.

January found me wanting to compare Shutterfly to Amazon Photos, so I was working on two books were being created at the same time.
My opinion?
Shutterfly wins on functionality.
Amazon wins on price.
Wait on the right coupon and Shutterfly gets the thumbs up.
 
Then, just when I was going to move on to something else, Shutterfly had an amazing sale (40% off and unlimited free pages).  I became a scrapbook crazy lady and got four years done in time to print during that sale. My wallet is VERY happy.  

So as we near the end of February, I have four years printed, one ready for print and one in process.  Not bad progress and maybe closer to get getting caught up than I originally planned!


Just after Christmas, I decided to try intermediate fasting.
MBB has been doing something similar for awhile now and I figured I'd give it a go, in my own way.
Five days a week, I eat between 4pm and 7pm to try to give my digestive system a break.
The other two, I either eat all three meals or just between 12pm and 7pm.
I am a fan of treating my body a little bit better...I am also the first to admit that I am not a fan of the digits on the scale right now.

So, I am giving this a go until I like the digits better and then, I'll probably adjust to what MBB is doing (eating between 12pm and 7pm everyday) as a lifestyle change.

As of now, I have lost 11 lbs over about 7 weeks.

Yes, I could lose it faster if I went on the diet that I have used before...
BUT - I was miserable ALL THE TIME and was always in a bad mood.
I was constantly hungry trying to keep my calories down and eat six times a day.
And if I didn't eat according to my plan - I got really shaky as my blood sugar dropped...
It was scary a few times.

With the intermediate fasting: I am hungry during the day, but it is the same hungry as before.
The difference?
I don't get shaky anymore.  I may get a headache as I get close to 4pm, but not every day.
I also am not hungry in the evening!
I feel full!
I get to eat what I want (not limited to eat whites, grilled chicken and green veggies ever meal)!


So that is what has been keeping my occupied so far in 2019.
And work...
And work travel...
And playing pool...

But I do have a lot of Friday Finds to post...
Just got to find some more time in the near future to get organized!

Namaste.

Clean Slate

I pretty much went on sabbatical from this blog in 2017.
I posted about goals, or lack there of, and then... Nada.

I did find a draft today that I wrote in September, but never posted.
I went ahead and published it... Well - it had a good point.
There are a few things that I didn't get posted in 2017 (ie. quilts), so I will be playing catch-up to get those out there.


Now, I am working with:  A Clean Slate

I have a new home.
I am investigating a new spiritual home.
I am working with new doctors.
I am trusting in the relocation process to finish our move.

I am staying in the now.
I am hopeful.
I am trying to stay either neutral or positive (Rome wasn't built in a day!).
I have a lot of work to do.

I am just working on the clean slate and making the most of the hand that I have been dealt.
So, no goals/resolutions.
If someone pushes me to have one - I am drinking green tea instead of coffee at work.


It is okay if I am on this journey alone...
It is okay if there is anyone else out there with the same experience...
I am just taking one step at a time to make this clean slate the best that it can be.
If something doesn't work, I am just going to bless it goodbye and start again.


Namaste.

Amazement

I am so in love with three little men who I call my grandsons.


Never have I ever felt the love that I feel for them.


I am constantly amazed by how they are growing and developing into their own unique personalities.
To hear "Me love you Nana" or "MY NANA" or see the baby's eyes just light up when he sees me...
Yeah, I am truly blessed...


And I won't let idiots who live by labels change any of that!


Namaste.

Ouch

My head is spinning...

I don't know which way is up...
Or down...

Some weeks, I'm not even sure what day it is or where I am...
No lie - I've had to ask hotel workers...

I achieved a professional goal...
Sometimes, I question if it was the right path and other times, I am extremely excited...
That along with all of the personal changes occurring now...
Yeah - I won't bore you.

In the end - it is what it is and I am going to have to try very hard to make everything work.
Part of that is being able to cry just to cry...
And getting mental breaks...

The only ways that I know to do that is to read a good series (I have run out of those) and to blog about mindless things.  You know - not my problems, but just stuff to get my mind off of everything for awhile.

I really need to figure out how to blog on my phone better.
That will be fun right now as auto correct and I are not getting along right now.

I know that I have said that about blogging before...
But I wasn't this close to anxiety and panic attacks becoming a daily friend before either.

I am on a mission to get my brain straightened out. 
Along with the physical.
I've given up on the spiritual fixes right now.  :(
I will just maintain there where I am.

A few prayers and crossed fingers would be greatly appreciated.

Namaste.

Love It

A few years ago (yes, it was documented in this blog), I finished my dream bathroom in my condo.

Then I met MBB and moved.

One of the requests that I had when we bought the house was a Master Bathroom.

Seven years later, I finally got my second dream bathroom.

And next year, we will be moving again.  :(

 

Namaste. 

Working on Improving...

Here is the week of 8/2 - 8/8:

And the week of 8/30 - 9/5:

What a difference a month makes.

I finally got back into the exercise mode...
Well, if you consider 10K steps a day as exercising.

Trying real hard to keep it up every day!

Namaste.

My Favorite Meal

I am back on the calorie counting, hunger fighting, wanting to make my knees feel better when I go up the stairs mode...

This is very difficult for me when you talk about my favorite meal of the day:  Breakfast.

Especially when I travel, and have access to those warming trays and stacks of plates...

I have been known to blow my entire day's allotment of calories at one of those hotel breakfast buffets!  

Okay, not a normal person's calories, but remember that mode I just talked about... 

Yeah - those calories.

So, I was very impressed with myself (yep - enough that I thought to document it) when I was up in mitten land last month and walked away from a buffet with this...

My Fitness Pal liked me that day!

Namaste.

A Foe and A Friend...

Meet my foe...
The one that I dread coming in contact with...
The one that I need to come in contact with...

Meet my friend...

The one that helps me conquer my foe...

The one that helps me survive!

Yes, I'm back on the transformation bandwagon.

Look for updates as it helps me stay accountable!

Namaste.

Vanilla Latte Cupcakes

Calories: 127 each

Results

MBB - Nope (he doesn't like coffee...)

SassyMarie - Yep

Namaste.

Snickers-licious Cupcakes

Calories 137 each

Results

MBB - OK - too chocolatee (MBB is not a big fan of chocolate unless it is paired with peanut butter)

SassyMarie - Nope (I don't do nuts in things...Knew I wouldn't try them when I made them)

Namaste.

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

Calories 110 each (yes, I could reduce it further, but don't think I'm going to)

Results
Everyone who has tried them likes them.  Definitely a keeper.

Just have to figure out how to thicken up the icing a little bit!

Namaste.

PB Cheesecake Chocolate Cupcakes

Calories 154 each

Results

MBB - Nope

SassyMarie - Nope

(At first I had these marked as OK - we'll eat them, but not make them again... Then we ended up throwing them away.  No longer an OK.)

Namaste.

New Cookbook

I found a new cookbook recently...

MBB flagged a few that interested him, so I have been baking a bit lately.

The cookbook is Hungry Girl's Just Desserts, 200 under 200.

Fits right in line with my calorie tracking.

I made three recipes but didn't take any pictures...

Since I want to keep track of what we have tried and which ones we like...

Gooey German Chocolate Cake Mug (194 Cal, MBB deemed it OK)

Oreo Cheesecake in a Mug (171 Cal, Neither of us liked it) 

Double-Decker Fudgy Cheesecake Cupcakes (159 Cal, MBB said OK, SassyMarie liked the chocolate, but not the cheesecake)

I remembered to take pictures this time.

Banana Split Cuppycakes

Calories 147 each

Results

MBB - Good

SassyMarie - Good (better after being refrigerated)
This is a keeper!

Namaste.

Baby Steps People!

So I've been trying to make changes since New Year’s…

Not necessarily resolution, I think I posted about goals.

I also decided to make a few small changes, not big things that are impossible, but little things that I can do here in there. They probably tie back into the goals that I made, but to be honest - I haven't really looked at them to know for sure.

One small (okay, so it doesn’t always feel so small) change is artificial sweetener. I am trying to reduce the amount of artificial sweetener that I consume. Eliminating it completely is pretty much impossible, or at least something that I don’t want to tackle right now, so I am focusing on one area - my diet pop.

That is huge!

Typically, I had a (sometimes two) Diet Cherry Pepsi(s) every day at work…
It was my addiction…
My comfort drink…
What I always got at the gas stations (and if they didn’t carry it, it wasn’t a gas station that I pulled into)… Since diet pop is full of artificial sweeteners and I am really trying to get back to the natural sugars (mostly Stevia, but I will touch Sugar Cane on occasion)...

GASP!

I'm not giving it up completely as I don’t think that is attainable…
Baby Steps People!

My goal is to only have Diet Pop when I'm at the pool halls and that is twice a week. Unfortunately, I am still giving up my Diet Cherry Pepsi completely as they only carry Diet Pepsi at one and Diet Coke at the other.

Tangent Coming
Yes, I’m aware that some people like Pepsi and some people like Coke.
I fall into the Pepsi camp.
So, it may be easy to reduce to one night a week…

We’ll see.

Namaste.

12 Books - where I ended up in 2013

I started documenting books that I read "with substance" in 2012 and continued into 2013.  

I love to read. . .
LOVE it!

But I also love to reread books and I love to read what I call mindless, quick reads.

Especially now that I have a kindle app on my phone.

Not allowing myself to count rereads or mindless reads.  :)

The hardest part is finding mindful books that don't bore me to tears.

And as I copied and pasted my last post update on this subject, I realized that three of the books were being double-counted, both on 2012 and 2013 - geez, imagine that!  In all honesty, I removed them - and still made 12!

1. Get Out of Debt Like the Debt Heroes:  How 21 Ordinary People Paid Off Over $1.7 Million in Debt by Ben Edwards and Jeff Rose (starting to appreciate my Kindle app - but this one did bore me quite a bit)
2. Surviving September 11th by Dan Holdridge (Kindle app)
3. the upside down marriage by Jim Keller (Kindle app)
4. 50 Fitness Tips you wish you knew by Derek Doepker (Kindle app)
5. Inferno by Dan Brown

6. Diversity Conversations: Finding Common Ground by Eric M. Ellis
7. Styxx by Sherrilyn Kenyon (Since this book is 836 pages, but I hated the historical first half and skipped to the more current day part - so, ~400 pages means I am only counting it as one)
8. The Seven Wonders That Will Change Your Life by Glenn Beck and Keith Ablow (took me many months to get through this one, but there were some good parts that made me think)
9. Calculated in Death by JD Robb

10. Thankless in Death by JD Robb

11. Dark Lycan by Christine Feehan
12. Dark Prince (Author's Cut Special Edition) by Christine Feehan (Okay, technically this is a reread.... BUT I first read this one in the early 2000s and there is 100 extra pages.  So 100 pages = new reading material.  This one also caused a lot of other rereads as it was the first in the series and got me wanting to reread, yes I am typing this, the ENTIRE series of about 25ish books)

I think I read more, but I tend to lend books out and haven't got them all back yet.

I have already made a good start on the 2014 list as I have ordered/preordered five books at Amazon (love prime!)...

Books I read, but don't think that they qualify for the list of 12:

Fall asleep! It's Easy... The (miraculous) kaleidoscope method by Elli Yeates (Kindle app)

Walking to Lose Weight (a 12 week walking workout plan) by Susan J Campbell (Kindle app)

Books I attempted and couldn't finish:

(30 days to better thinking and better living through) Critical Thinking by Linda Elder and Richard Paul (Kindle app)

Namaste.

Reading Update

I've come to the conclusion that the blogger app on my phone does not like me.

I tried to copy the book list from my previous post and now that post has been deleted...

Not sure why or how.

But I can say that I do not like the blogger app as much as it doesn't like me.

 

So, I am leaving all of the wording that was copied from that post, even though it was posted awhile back with the added books.

And I had to look up all of the links again - AUGH.

 

I love to read. . .
LOVE it!

 

Haven't done near the reading that I used to...
A thing called life got in the way.

 

In 2012, I tried to kick-start the one book a month idea.
I did get 12ish in, though it definitely wasn't one per month.

That did get me back into the mode of reading, but I tend to "reread" old favorites or pick up a mindless, quick read. 

 

I am going to target 12 mindful reads this year. 

I am off to a good start...
The hardest part is finding mindful books that don't bore me to tears.

 

1. Lips Unsealed:  A Memoir by Belinda Carlisle
2. Between a Heart and a Rock Place:  A Memoir by Pat Benator
3. Put on Your Crown:  Life Changing Moments on the Path to Queendom  by Queen Latifa
4. Get Out of Debt Like the Debt Heroes:  How 21 Ordinary People Paid Off Over $1.7 Million in Debt by Ben Edwards and Jeff Rose (starting to appreciate my Kindle app - but this one did bore me quite a bit)
5. Surviving September 11th by Dan Holdridge (starting to appreciate my Kindle app)
6. the upside down marriage by Jim Keller (Kindle app)
7. 50 Fitness Tips you wish you knew by Derek Doepker (Kindle app)
8. Currently Reading: Inferno by Dan Brown
9.
10.
11.
12.

 

Books I read, but don't think that they qualify for the list of 12 (unless I need them :)  ):

Fall asleep! It's Easy... The (miraculous) kaleidoscope method by Elli Yeates (Kindle app)

Walking to Lose Weight (a 12 week walking workout plan) by Susan J Campbell (Kindle app)

 

Books I attempted and couldn't finish:

(30 days to better thinking and better living through) Critical Thinking by Linda Elder and Richard Paul (Kindle app)

 

Namaste.

Mornings...

Mornings are not my favorite time of the day…

To be honest.

 

I am a night owl. 

Always have been.

Probably, always will.

 

But I also like getting my obligations taken care of as early as possible so that my favorite time of the day is filled with “me time”.

As a result, I get up EARLY…

 

Even when I go to bed late.

 

I start my work day as early as work will allow so that I can head home as early as my eight hours will allow.

Having said all of that, I have had some of the best “moments” in the morning lately.

A nice surprise actually!

 

I have been trying to get ready without turning on the light in my closet.  I have a little of light from the bathroom that gives me some guidance, but not so bright that it wakes MBB up (okay, so it probably still wakes him up, but it is a pull the blankets up and turn over awake and not time to get up awake).  The result has been putting on clothes that I would normally pass over as “too small”… Only to find out that 99% of them are not “too small”.

 

Happy dance.

 

Today, I am modeling a pair of jeans that I probably haven’t been able to get my thigh into for about five years.

 

Happy marathon!

 

Namaste.

Update

I mentioned a few months ago that I was working on improving my health again.
Then, I didn't mention it again...

But, I didn't stop working on it.
I just kept putting one foot in front of the other.

It hasn't been easy.
And sometimes, I get frustrated because it is taking longer than before.

BUT...
I am not starving myself.  I am eating and enjoying life.
I am moving more, even though I am not paying for a gym.

I have 8.2lbs to lose to get to my "Met MBB weight".
I'm pretty sure that I didn't get to this point when I was planning a wedding.
Have to say that I am seriously thinking about trying on a wedding dress to see if it fits.  :)

Namaste.