Alene's Check-in

[alene1]

Monday, July 13th, 2020

Happy new week! Feeling pretty good this morning. The sun is shining and I have a nice day planned. I'm taking a walk with a friend over at the new house, and will give her a little tour if we aren't in the way of the painter. Grocery shopping, my TA workout later, misc. tasks at home.

We enjoyed spending time with our GS yesterday. He is getting so big and agile. Such a sweet boy.

Nothing too much else to report today. I'm getting really excited about my new workouts. I ordered a bunch of them and I'm excited to see what kinds of results I see.

Exercise: 70M walk
Steps: 12,497
Sleep Score: 75 - it didn't catch my last hour of sleep
Plan: Eating went well. Nothing exciting to report.

[alene1]

Tuesday, July 14th, 2020

Feeling a bit flat the last day or so. Thinking about the new school year and what is going to happen. How we are going to do this safely???? With cases rising there are no easy answers. Kids need to be in school, but we also have to worry about teachers and their families, and kids and their families. I just can't fixate on it. There is so much good stuff going on in my life, and I don't want to live in a state of dread. I'm going to do my very best to choose joy, and to choose to do things each day that bring joy.

Today I'm going to make my master list of furniture/kitchen/linens that we need for the new house and start shopping around online. I'm also going to stop at a few furniture stores and get some ideas. My DH is so very busy dealing with the landscaping stuff and work that I know he doesn't have much time to focus on the inside of the house. We're getting a new bed and new furniture so we've got to start getting those ducks in a row or we'll be sitting in a house with no furniture! I'm going to do my TA workout this morning, get ready, and then head out for the day.

Yesterday I got the last 3 appliances we need and set up delivery for September. I talked to our project manager yesterday and he said the house should be done the first or second week of September. Music to my ears! I'm not going to count on it, but be hopeful. I took a nice walk with one of my fellow teachers over at the new house. That was nice. We watered last night and DH was able to eat a few plums off our plum trees. Fun! Off to make this a great day. Wishing everyone a great day.

Exercise: None
Steps: 7,982
Sleep Score: 80
Plan: Had a good day on plan. Higher energy and felt good.

[automatedeating]

Your plums are ripe?! That is amazing!

[pinkhippie]

Sorry Alene, I am not a teacher so I don't have the same anxiety as I am sure you do, but I have also been really worried about the schools and how they are going to do things. It seems to me there are no good solutions right now. However, things are constantly changing so I am doing what you are doing, and just not fixate on it. I think that is a great thing to do for your mental health to choose joy and do what brings you joy.

In terms of food and eating, I have read that a lot of times people eat when their bodies don't need food because that is their main joy in their life and it is recommended to find joy beyond the food. I have definitely felt that way, so I think it's awesome that you are surrounded by so many good things and can find happiness in so many things in your life.

Have a great day!

[alene1]

Auto, not all of them, but some! Pretty fun.

PH, I have read the same, and it makes a lot of sense. I'm going to work on actually setting aside time to do things I like to do, instead of mindlessly scrolling too much time during the day.

[alene1]

Wednesday, July 15th, 2020

Yesterday was pretty successful. I found a few things I liked and scoped out the biggest furniture stores around this area. T'oday I'm heading down closer to Seattle to look at some other stores and see if I can find some things that I love. I did find a really cute loveseat that is grey'ish-blue and had the prettiest pillows on it. I may get that for the den. I need to take measurements and visualize how much space it will take up. I may need something a bit smaller. Our front door is a deep blue and the den is right next to it so a blue theme would be nice for that room.

Today I'm heading over to my Mom's to have dinner with her and my sister. I scoped out a healthy option at Panda Express of the Teriyaki Chicken and Super Greens. No wine for me tonight. Also gonna pop by and see my GS for a bit since I'll be very close. I'm going to do a TA workout this morning before I head out. I didn't do anything yesterday. I was eager to get on the road! Good day to all!

Exercise: none
Steps: 5,810
Sleep Score: 78
Plan: 46.4 to goal.

[alene1]

Thursday, July 16th, 2020

Yesterday was a good day, but a bit of a struggle because I was so tired. I realized that my bedtime has been creeping up since we're out at the property till late most nights. I wake up at 5:30 or 6:00 regardless of bedtime, so I need to get to sleep earlier. I felt kind of zombyish last night at Mom's. I found some nice couches yesterday. I need to find a time where DH and I can go together to sit on some. Order time is 4-6 weeks for a brand I like a lot that is made in Oregon. Saw my GS and had a lot of fun with him, as always! I took him outside for a little bit and he played in his pool. I hung out with him on the floor in his room and that was a lot of fun. I never get tired of watching him!

Today is stuff around home mostly, along with getting a few groceries and a new shower curtain. I'm going to be doing more research online today. I'll do some TA FOR SURE! I have slacked on that this week. Time to get busy!

Exercise:TA Mat 30M
Steps: 8,058
Sleep Score: 78
Plan: I had a good chat with my coach today. I had some wins to report this week. BP was at 121/82 this morning, which is low for me. I usually hover around 140/85~92, so that made me very happy!

[pinkhippie]

Wow congratulations on the lower blood pressure! That is awesome!

I had the same trouble a few weeks ago with my bedtime getting later but being unable to sleep in because I wake up automatically at an earlier time. I hope you are able to get some good rest tonight. Sleep deprivation can really wear on you!

Have a great day!

[automatedeating]

Congrats on the blood pressure! That is lovely - I know that feeling of seeing my blood pressure fall after making dietary changes. Powerful motivator!

And I too have been staying up a little later. Not that much, actually, but a little. But luckily I do compensate by sleeping in a little longer, too. I recognize that is a blessing. When I am more stressed (less present as Eckhart Tolle would remind me) the compensatory extra sleep doesn't usually happen.

[alene1]

PH, thanks a lot! I'm super happy about that.

Auto, I was able to sleep in a little this morning and it felt really good. Sometimes if I just relax and stay in bed I can eek out a bit more.

[alene1]

Friday, July 17th, 2020

Exercise: 25M walk
Steps: 12,567
Sleep score: didn't pick it up for some reason
Plan: Had a good day. I had a chicken caesar salad for dinner takeout, and that was a nice change. Everything on track.

Saturday, July 18th, 2020

Exercise: TA Mat 30M
Steps: 8,783
Sleep score: 83
Plan: 45.6 left to goal.

I did a lot of shopping yesterday, looking at things for the kitchen, bedrooms, and bathrooms. I got some new silverware, and some kitchen towels. I found a really pretty blue rug for the guest bath, and I'll use that as my base to decorate. I think I'll add some cream and cocoa. The bathroom is just to the right as you come in the front door, and it's blue, so I'm going to focus on blue in that bathroom and the den, which is just inside the door to the left.

Our floors are a brownish/red and our kitchen counters are earth-tone based granite. The main colors I'm going to use in the house are greens, blues, cream, and cocoa. I will probably add a few little splashes of yellow just because it makes me happy. I found some pretty comforters, so I need to figure out which one I want to get. Lots of misc. things to shop for! I usually know it when I see it though, so it shouldn't take me too, too long. I'll have to do a lot of it online because I didn't see that much that I liked at the stores. We also need to find a dining set for the patio.

Well, need to get some groceries and have some lunch, so I'm off! Hope everyone is having a nice weekend!

[pinkhippie]

I love the color scheme of your house! It sounds so warm and inviting. Sounds like your bathroom is going to be so pretty!

Have a wonderful weekend!

[automatedeating]

Like Pinkie said, this color scheme sounds awesome!!!

Our bedroom is a cocoa type color, and it is still, after 10 years, my favorite colored room in the house.

[alene1]

PH and Auto, I'm glad you like my color scheme! I think it will be very restful and peaceful. That's my vibe.

[alene1]

Sunday, July 19th, 2020

Exercise: none
Steps:5,920
Sleep Score: 85
Plan: All went well. We had friends over to the new house for a bbq. I had a bbq burger w/cheese and sans the bun, and a delicious, fresh salad with greens and herbs from the garden that my friend brought. I missed the wine, but not that much.

Monday, July 20th, 2020

Happy Monday, y'all! Hope it was a good one for everyone. We had a very nice one. Saturday we got coffee and took a nice drive down to a nearby small town on the water and sat on a log in the sun on the beach and drank coffee and chatted. It has been so busy with the house that we have been out of a touch lately. It was so nice to just spend time together and hang out. I really love taking a drive with our coffee on weekend mornings. Puttered around the house and made a new dish for dinner. I just kind of made it up, but it was chicken with tarragon and artichoke hearts with a sauce made from chicken broth and laughing cow light wedges. So good!! I topped it with broccoli and put it in the crock pot and we warmed it up once I got out to the house. It was so nice to have dinner all ready and not have to bbq. It was a beautiful night out, and we enjoyed a fire after dinner. DH is working very hard on the landscaping. We have to till in a ton of compost before we can plant some grass in front of the house. The property is about an acre, so there are a lot of areas that he's creating new landscaping. There is the front yard to do, as well as lots of beds around the house. He is such a hard worker. I have to get him to slow down sometimes!

Sunday we got coffee again and ran some errands, and then I went home to get things ready for our bbq with friends. We had a great visit with them, and the weather was superb. Finished up the night with another fire. Today some of our appliances are coming, so I need to be out at the house to receive them. They're putting in the cabinets on Friday so they need to be there. I'm going to continue my shopping today for new things for the house. Probably just online though.

I'm going to ramp up my exercise a little bit this week. I've been doing pretty low-intensity stuff. I'm going to do some workouts with more weight work and that get my heart rate up higher. Well, better get to it!

Exercise: 10M strength
Steps: 8,436
Sleep Score:72
Plan: The day was good. Nothing exciting to report. Had rotisserie chicken and salad at the new house. Simple and quick.

[pinkhippie]

That sounds like such a nice weekend! Your chicken meal sounds delicious!

Our bedroom is a bright yet dark blue. Every time I look at it, I am reminded of how much I value my marriage. I really wanted a light restful blue for our room but my husband wanted this dark vibrant blue. We argued a bit, but in the end, I realized that he wanted that blue color more than I did and our happy relationship was more important than the paint color for the bedroom and so we painted the room dark blue. Have you and your husband been in agreement on all the house colors? It can be such a big and sometimes overwhelming task building and decorating a new house with someone.

[Jen1974]

Alene: Your house & your weekend sounds amazing (: I absolutely love fires!!

Pink: I love that story about your marriage. I think that’s what the happiest marriages are made of, putting them first, at least some of the times, & picking your battles

[automatedeating]

Alene - I so enjoyed reading your description of your weekend!

Pinkie - I too loved your marriage story.

[alene1]

PH, what a great story about your room. It's definitely a give and take in a good relationship. We actually have the same taste in almost everything so far. He has a picture I really don't care for that he loves, so we need to figure that out. He's letting me do most of the decorating on my own without too much feedback, so that is fun! I'm running stuff by him though. He cares about what kind of cookware we get, and what kind of vacuum for our new flooring. Most of his attention is on the landscaping, so that is fine with me! lol

Auto, I'm glad you enjoyed hearing about our weekend.

Jen, I love fires too! Sitting out at the fire pit is one of my favorite things.

[alene1]

Tuesday, July 21st, 2020

Off to see my daughter for a quick visit, then go see my grandson and family, and then dinner with mom and sis! I'm looking forward to a fun day of socializing. I'm going to take a walk near my daughter's this morning. Good day to all.

Exercise: none
Steps: 3,814
Sleep Score: 78
Plan: Had a good day.

[pinkhippie]

I am glad everyone enjoyed my story. Jen I agree, picking your battles and putting your partner first is so important!

Alene, yes relationships really are all about compromise and it is so wonderful when your partner has the same philosophy. It sounds like you and your husband are a great team for building and redecorating the house. My husband also has a few paintings that I don't really love that he loves so I understand how that goes!

Enjoy your socializing! Sounds like you have a great day planned!

[alene1]

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2020

Oh my, I had the BEST time with my sweet grandson yesterday. So much fun. He smiled really big when he saw me. He just lights me up. He took a few steps for my yesterday, and learned how to clap his hands. He was so pleased with himself. He is growing and changing so fast. I enjoyed a quick visit with my daughter on her lunch break, and also a nice time with my mom and sis playing pinochle and having dinner. I didn't get a walk in, even though I intended to. I left too late in the morning. I'm so used to puttering around these days that I didn't get myself together in time!

Today I have a teacher meeting at one of the teacher's houses that is on a lake. It's just beautiful. We'll sit outside. It will be good to see everyone and catch up, and do some brainstorming on the coming year. It's looking like it's likely we'll start the year with remote learning. We need to find a better way for sure!

Things are really coming along on the house. The deck is almost done, and they're putting the water filtration system in today. Cabinets are installed on Friday. We're getting close!

I'm definitely going to get in a workout or a walk today. No excuses! Happy Wednesday.

Exercise: 70M walk
Steps: 11,714
Sleep Score: didn't wear my Fitbit to bed
Plan: I had a nice drop this morning. Yay! I was feeling a bit discouraged yesterday at the scale not moving much this week. 44.6 left to goal.

[pinkhippie]

So glad you had such a wonderful visit with your grandson!

Your teacher meeting sounds great! I would love to sit outside at a house on a lake with people other than my family right about now...

Good luck getting your walk in! I know what you mean about puttering. I feel like my whole life is puttering right now and you sound like you do WAY more than I do!

Have a great day!

[alene1]

PH, it WAS super nice to get to visit and just be somewhere else than home. I need to rein in my puttering! School will be starting before too long and I need to prepare myself.

[alene1]

Thursday, July 23rd, 2020

Exercise: None
Steps: 8,224
Sleep Score: 83
Plan: Oh my gosh, I was so hungry yesterday! I'm quite sure it was related to my long walk the night before. Since my calories are quite reduced, exercise can really ramp up my appetite. I'm going to have to be careful with that. I made it through the day okay, but had some extra protein and almonds and that helped. I'm proud of myself for talking back to my sabotaging thoughts, getting creative, and working myself through the day.

Friday, July 24th, 2020

Yesterday was puttering on steroids. lol I gotta get out of that habit. Lots of mindless scrolling too. I think the gray days really do affect my mood. I went out and got some things done and got a coffee. We went to the new house last night and it was so exciting! The light fixtures were in, and the deck and railings are done. They just need to do the steps. It all looks really great! I was feeling so good and then looked over at our new dishwasher we brought, and there were two big dents on the door. It really took the wind out of my sails. I was mad!! Not sure how that happened but they better plan on fixing it or I'm going to be really pissed! It must have been the electricians because I'm pretty sure they were the only ones in there yesterday. Trying to stay calm about it, but it was just a real blow to see our pretty new dishwasher with dents in it before it was even installed. I know it will get taken care of one way or another, so I'm trying really hard to chill about it. Why is it that we always focus on the thing that's wrong instead of all the things that are right? It seems to be the human condition, or maybe it's just having a bad attitude. Either way, I've been trying to focus on my thoughts a lot more, and how they really decide how I'm going to be feeling during the day. Our self talk is so powerful.

I'm going to go look at deck furniture shortly, and go through all my lists and put my plan in my planner for shopping priorities. School will be starting before we know it. I am just realizing how short my time is before we go back to school! We are supposed to have our general plan by the 30th. It's looking a lot like starting with distance learning. So not what I want to be doing, but almost certainly the safest thing to do with cases ramping up in our county after we have re-opened. Our governor dialed back the re-opening yesterday, which I think had to happen. Our bars downtown have been packed. That's just not going to work right now.

Hope everyone has a great day!

Exercise: 10M upper body
Steps: 13,450
Sleep Score: 88
Plan: Another teeny drop. 44.4 to goal. Definitely seeing a flattening of my belly and behind now, and arms are slimming down. Moving is easier and my energy is pretty good. Some of my clothes are getting a little looser too. Very encouraging.

[pinkhippie]

hah hah I just re read my comment and I realized it could sound like I said you do way more puttering than I do. I meant you do way more activities than I do! lol Just wanted to clarify, I wasn't trying to be insulting.

Sounds like you dealt with your increased hunger really well! I know I have trouble with that too sometimes and think self defeating thoughts about how obviously my plan isn't working. But I have come to realize that sometimes I have increased hunger and I just need to eat a little more and it is Ok. That is great that you are able to see some physical changes! That is so encouraging.

Sorry about your dishwasher! That is so maddening! I hope it gets resolved. It sounds like you are doing a great job being aware and trying not to focus on the negative though. I totally agree that self talk is super powerful.

I hope you enjoy your day and get stuff done that you want to!

[alene1]

PH, I knew what you meant! I'm feeling more calm about the dishwasher. I found out what it would cost to replace the panel. So far no one has fessed up.

[alene1]

Saturday, July 25th, 2020

I had such a good day yesterday. Great energy, great hunger control, and ate well. I made a taco salad last night with ground turkey, and had salsa, light sour cream, and guac on it. Very good!

The house is really coming along now! We had the best time last night. The light fixtures were all put in, and we were able to turn on all the lights! So fun to see everything all lit up, especially when it got dark. We have lantern-style lights on the garage, and at the front door and back deck. They looked so pretty. Having the plates put on the outlets make the rooms look so much more finished. You can really see the paint color now, and it looks soft and pretty next to the white. It's called buttermilk. So we had the best time just sitting on the side of the deck, having our dinners and being happy about the house. We puttered around and got all the extra wood and other garbage left by the contractors put in the trailer to take to the dump. It looks so nice to have all that stuff picked up and gone. It felt really good to work together on that. There's a lot that DH does on his own to take care of the property, and it made me feel more ownership to be out there working on it together.

Today I'm going to color my hair, tidy up a bit, laundry, and get some strawberries. I'm going to make strawberry shortcake for tomorrow's get together at Mom's. My daughter and son and their families will be there, and my sister's sons too. It should be a lot of fun. It's the last time we'll see my GS for a while because they need to quarantine strictly again before they go visit my DIL's parents.

Tonight we'll grill burgers at the new house, and I'm going to make zucchini and yellow squash foil packets from the garden. I found a recipe with parmesan, butter, and spices. Looks yum! Hope everyone has a good day.

Exercise: 30M walk
Steps: 11,671
Sleep Score: 80
Plan: All went well.

[pinkhippie]

Oh good, I am glad you knew what I meant!

Sounds like such a wonderful night last night! And another wonderful day planned for today! Have fun grilling at the new house!

[automatedeating]

I'm grilling zucchini tonight, too!

[alene1]

Sunday, July 26th, 2020

Exercise: 1H 20M walk
Steps: 15,583
Sleep Score: 78
Plan: All on track

Monday, July 27th, 2020

Exercise: None
Steps: 5,165
Sleep Score: Didn't wear to bed
Plan: I got extra hungry in the afternoon. This always seems to happen if I do longer or more intense exercise the day before. I'm going to either have to eat a little more on the exercise day, or plan to eat a little more the day after. I did some unplanned eating before dinner of graham crackers with butter. It was leftover from the s'mores we had with family at the new house. I figure that is going to happen occasionally. I'm not perfect, and sometimes you just need to eat some fun food! I think I got it out of my system. This is only the 2nd time in almost 4 weeks that I have done this, so I feel really happy about that.

My weight has been doing the cha cha, up and down just a bit over the week, so no real downward movement. Annoying but our bodies are going to do what they do! I'll just keep staying the course and being patient.

Tuesday, July 28th, 2020

I had a busy day yesterday looking around for a dining table for our deck. I finally found a small one that will do till at least next spring. There isn't much out there this time of year and I didn't want to buy chairs I hadn't sat in. It was so fun last night sitting on the deck looking out at the water! They just need to put the hand rails on today and then it will be done. We have wide steps going off the front to maintain the view, with a small amount of railing on the sides to provide a feeling of coziness and privacy, and stairs going off the side. We are supposed to get our cabinets in today, so that will be super exciting!

I have a teacher meeting this morning. The district is announcing our plan for starting in September this week, so the fun begins! Pretty sure it will be distance learning to start. Miscellaneous shopping today. I found a really pretty comforter in blue and green that I'm going to get, and some pretty mint colored sheets. We ordered our bed, dresser, and nightstand this weekend, and it's just beautiful. It's made out of hickory. The nightstands are such a pretty shape too. They have a nice curve to them. We picked out couches, but need to decide on the color. I talked to the window coverings company yesterday and they will be ready for us once we get the trim up around the windows. Things are coming together!

Exercise: RIU 25M
Steps: 9,438
Sleep Score: 84
Plan: I had a really good day. I made a yummy chicken stir-fry for dinner.

[automatedeating]

Hi Alene! As a fellow sleep score tracker, I was curious if you notice that you actually are more tired on the days that you get a lower (for you) score. What do you think?

The biggest correlation I see is that on days that I get the most deep sleep, I feel GREAT, even if my score wasn't particularly higher than normal or my hours of sleep wasn't as high as normal. For me, deep sleep is the key. I know all the stages are important, but that's the one that I think varies most for me based on stress, alcohol-intake, blood sugar, night-time disturbances, etc.

[alene1]

Wednesday, July 29th, 2020

I had a really fun day yesterday! I ordered our new comforter, did all the grocery shopping, got in a good workout, and just overall had a good day. The cabinets were installed yesterday and they look so beautiful!! I love them and it just changes everything so much to see them in the house. They're beech with a natural finish and a shaker door style. I am having the best time with decorating and dreaming and shopping! lol I'm going to call the project manager about the dishwasher today and get that figured out. No resolution as of yet, but I hope to get some today. As in, you pay for it!!!!

I'm going to take a walk this morning and then get shopping! Lots of little things to get, and some bigger ones. I think I'll go take another look at some of the local furniture stores for end and coffee tables, tv stands, and dining tables. I may have to drive further to find what I want. Have a good day, all!

Exercise: 30M walk
Steps: 11,276
Sleep Score: 78
Plan: 43.4 to goal.

[lpearlmom]

You sound so good, happy and engaged. It’s wonderful to see. I’m excited to hear more about your house. I hope you’ll post pics soon.

[alene1]

Auto, I will have to notice that about my sleep score. I don't really notice a big difference in fatigue as long as I get approximately the same amount of sleep. I just notice it when I have a really bad night of sleep! I had Fitbit Premium but just went back to regular, so I won't get as much sleep data. I'll have to see if I think it's worth it to pay for it. I think it's $9.95 a month or so? Seems like a lot for what you get. Do you do Premium?

Linda, so great to see you back! You have been missed. I am feeling really good right now. I'm having such fun decorating the house! My husband has been doing a lot of the work outside and working with contractors, so I haven't felt as much ownership as I would like. Now that I'm creating a beautiful interior for us I feel very much a part of things. It feels really good! I told DH last night I just feel so happy and thankful for our new home that we are creating together. I will post some pics soon. I keep meaning to!

[alene1]

Thursday, July 30th, 2020

Exercise: none
Steps: 8,041
Sleep Score: 78
Plan: 43.2 to goal. All went well.

Friday, July 31st, 2020

Exercise: Ramp It Up (25M)
Steps: 6,257
Sleep Score: -
Plan: 42.6 to goal. Had a rough evening and ate off plan. My workout made me extra hungry all day. Late afternoon and evening workouts seem so much better for me. My body just seems to handle them much better and I don't get hungry like that. Maybe it has something to do with blood sugar being more sensitive in the morning. I know I've read that somewhere.

Saturday, August 1st, 2020

Exercise: none
Steps: 9,451
Sleep Score: 84
Plan: Had a great day. Very light hunger and felt great. Made a yummy pork tenderloin and green beans and took it out the house in a crock pot.

Sunday, August 2nd, 2020

It's been some busy days! I have been shopping up and storm! I found a dining set I just loved in hickory and a very light finish, almost natural. It's built in Indiana by an Amish company. I brought in DH to check it out and we ended up getting our dining set, bar stools, entertainment center, and coffee and end tables there. All hickory in natural except the dining set. I think that's going to look really cool with the darker brownish-red flooring. It will pick up the dark knots in the grain of the furniture and bring them out. I'm so excited to get everything! We will have to be patient though and make do until things get here. It is made to order and will take 10-12 weeks. I'll get some cheap stools for our island counter and we can eat there till everything comes. We'll have our couches at least! lol I also got an amazing recliner for the den. It's blue and it's sooooo comfy! It's like being in a cloud. Our king bed is also going to be in hickory, and that we ordered a week or two ago and will be here before the house is done. I got comforters for our bed and for the queen bed in the guest room. It's a really pretty striped blue, and looks very crisp and nautical and fits with us being by the water. It's oversized and very soft, so that will be really nice for our guests. I want to make that room so pretty, cozy, and inviting when people stay with us. I need to finalize the couch/loveseat color and get that ordered Monday since it takes about 6 weeks. Made right next door in Oregon! It feels good to have most of the major stuff bought. We mostly just need mattresses now and some linens and kitchen things.

Feeling good about my plan and my progress. Yesterday I looked in the mirror and I was really pleased. My belly is a lot flatter, my arms are leaner, my waist more defined, and I'm losing from my lower half too. My clothes just fit so much more nicely now, and I feel so much better emotionally. In control and in a good routine. I'm going to go through my stuff again today as I'm folding and putting away laundry and get rid of some more things that I don't like very well or that are a little big and not that flattering any more. Other than that it will be a little tidying, making the weekly grocery list and planning dinners, and then going out to the house to sweep it out. They are coming to install the flooring mid-August. Also counters and final plumbing mid-August too, so things are really coming together! After that it will be carpet in, tile in bathrooms, doors on, trim on, appliances in, and then just finishing touches mostly. It is getting so exciting now!

Okay, off to get going on my day. Hope everyone has a great Sunday.

Exercise: none
Steps: 14,382
Sleep Score: 87 - Not sure how I got this score. I went to bed past midnight but stayed in bed a little later. Since I don't have premium right now I can't see the breakdown of my score.
Plan: All went well.

[automatedeating]

You are doing so great!

Sleep Score - no, I don't get Premium (I agree it's too expensive). However I still get a free breakdown of my sleep score that shows the time spent in each stage, your monthly average, and the average time in each stage for women of a similar age as you. I now also get (for free) an oxygen saturation variation chart, which can show possible indicators for sleep apnea. The only things missing from the free part are indices of restlessness and some more detailed heart rate information. I can see the heart rate information anyway for free just by looking at my heart rate panel.

[pinkhippie]

I am so jealous of your recliner! Or envious actually... It sounds so great! We have been recliner shopping for ages. Your house sounds like it is coming together beautifully! I really do hope you can post pictures at some point.

Good for you with staying on your plan and seeing the results! It is such a nice feeling. I don't have premium fitbit either but it shows me my sleep score and my restlessness and all that. On the sleep subject... does anyone else have over an hour of awake time each night? I don't remember being awake but my fitbit adds it up and says I am awake for at least an hour throughout the night.

[automatedeating]

Yes! I typically am awake for about 1 hour every night. Current monthly average - 13%

My deep sleep varies the most - from only 1 hour on bad nights to 2 hours on the BEST nights. current monthly average - 17%

My REM also varies a lot - but about 2 hours is common. montly average - 22%

Most definitely the more deep sleep I get the better I feel. I don't see any other super strong correlation with how I feel when I get up in the morning.

I'd love to slap a fitbit on my kiddos and see how much lovely deep sleep they get. I bet it'd blow me out of the water.

[pinkhippie]

Thanks auto! That is interesting. I typically have an hour to an hour and 30 minutes awake time but I don't think I have EVER had 2 hours of deep sleep. My current monthly average for deep sleep is 13% And my REM is 13% as well. I wonder if it's because my husband snores and talks in his sleep so much. I actually wear ear plugs to sleep at night because of it. So interesting to see your statistics!

Alene, I hope you are doing well!

[alene1]

PH, Fitbit counts the time you're laying in bed before you actually start to go to sleep I think, as well as when you wake up in the morning and are still laying down for a bit before getting up. I've never had a recliner, so I'm going to enjoy it a lot I think!

Auto, it's interesting to look at sleep data. My 30 day average is REM 22% and Deep 18%. My deep sleep last night was 27%. I'll see if I notice feeling more rested.

It's been a busy several days running around shopping mostly. I got our couches ordered, and some other miscellaneous things. I spent a good chunk of time looking for dinnerware yesterday, but no cigar. It's so hard to find just what I want. I found a beautiful set at Macy's, and came to find out that a single plate was $25! I don't want to spend that much. I have a few saved on my computer to show DH.

Overall things are good. I am feeling so badly for DH though. He is just working himself to the bone on the landscaping, after working all day. I'm trying to think of some way to get him to rest and relax for at least one night. He's on a mission! I went to Mom's last night and brought over cauliflower pizza crusts and all the fixin's to make our own pizzas. Mom and sis really enjoyed that!

Today I'm going to stay home and get things done around the house and do some ordering online. School is coming more and more to the forefront of my mind, and I need to finish up shopping and start sorting through things for Goodwill. We have a meeting tomorrow with our special ed director. It sounds like we're going to get a distance learning curriculum, so we will have to learn that stat! I ordered my lesson planning book, so that is a start!

Monday, August 3rd, 2020

Exercise:30M walk
Steps: 10,475
Sleep Score: 83
Plan: Good day. Made the chicken tarragon dish with artichokes and parmesan. Yum! I was really proud of myself for working through my stress. One of my student's grandma was bashing the teachers and the district for how the spring went. It put me in a major funk and I felt awful and stressed all day. I was really proud of myself for working through my feelings. I wanted a glass of wine in a BIG way! I talked it over with a fellow teacher later in the day and felt much better.

Tuesday, August 4th, 2020

Exercise: none
Steps:10,178
Sleep Score:79
Plan: Good day. Was a bit liberal on the toppings for the pizza, but otherwise good. 42.2 to goal.

Wednesday, August 5th, 2020

Exercise: none
Steps: 8,210
Sleep Score: 81
Plan: 41.6 to goal.

[alene1]

Thursday, August 6th, 2020

Had a productive day at home yesterday. I did a lot of cleaning and organizing and got a few groceries. I made a delish salad with diced roasted chicken, bacon, red onion, avocado, and blue cheese dressing. Yum! That avocado just hit the spot, and it was perfectly ripe, which doesn't happen often!

Today I'm hitting the road early and getting my oil changed and car washed. Then home for a Zoom meeting with my team and our special ed director. I hope everyone has a great Thursday.

Exercise: none
Steps: 5,699
Sleep Score: didn't wear to bed
Plan: A good week so far. Down another .8. 40.8 to goal.

[pinkhippie]

Alene you have never had a recliner?! Yes I think you will enjoy it a lot. We have very old (35 plus years)recliners that hurt our necks so we sit in straight back chairs and I miss having a recliner.

Wow you get a lot of deep sleep too! Interesting.

That salad sounds delicious! Perfectly ripe avocados are so rare!

I hope your meeting goes well today! Have a good Thursday!

[automatedeating]

My husband dreams of someday getting a leather reclining couch and loveseat.

[lpearlmom]

That’s annoying that someone is criticizing teachers for the last semester. Nobody was prepared for the pandemic and i for one was impressed with how quickly the teacher’s pulled it together as best they could under the circumstances. I don't think ppl realize what a challenging job teaching is. Anyway, glad you’re feeling better.

[alene1]

PH, sounds like you need to find a new recliner! I hope you can find one you like. I'll have to tell you which one we got when I have a chance to look.

Auto, hopefully his dream will come true!

Linda, it was pretty hurtful. But I know people don't understand all the things that we do behind the scenes, all the paperwork we have to do and hoops to jump through, along with trying to figure out how to do distance learning with all the inequities. I got a pretty, bright pink notebook to use for note taking and planning this year to remind myself to be positive and optimistic!!!

[alene1]

Friday, August 7th, 2020

Happy Friday y'all!! It's a little gloomy out there today, but the sun is supposed to break through before too long. I decided today is going to be beach day!! Truly, I haven't just given myself a day to relax and recharge and get away all summer. We have been so busy out at the house, and getting all that we need, etc., that we have taken very little time to just enjoy. I'm going to get ready and drive down to the ocean for the day. I'm planning to take a long walk, do some journaling, get some coffee, and just let the wind blow through my ears, as my dad used to say. I am really excited about it. I'm just realizing how fast school is coming up, and how crazy busy it is likely to be in September with school starting and getting moved into the new house (hopefully.)

I got my glasses picked out yesterday, and ordered our dinnerware. I have been really struggling to find a pattern I like that is actually durable and sturdy and not prone to chipping. I think this will be really pretty. I'll take a pic of it when we get into the house and I post pictures here.

Well, I think I'll get going on the day, and get on the road! Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Exercise:
Steps:
Sleep Score: 83
Plan:

[automatedeating]

I'm happy for your pretty pink planning notebook. On my new (amazing) iPad Pro, I have a program called "Goodnotes" now. Having fun office supplies for staying organized is a real lift to my spirits.

[pinkhippie]

Alene yes we really do! Sure, let me know what yours is when you get a chance.

I am sorry people are being critical. I also was impressed with our teachers. And you know one thing this pandemic showed me that I hadn't quite realized before? It's how much the teachers TRULY love their kids and thrive because they are teaching and interacting and how important their kids are to them. I know, I have worked in the school system myself but I never really saw that from my daughters teachers until the pandemic. Then I saw them go above and beyond for their kids and the hard work they put in to make the end of the school year as good as it could be. So, anyway long ramble to say that I bet a lot of parents feel that way too but it's just the negative people that are always the loudest.

Your pink notebook sounds great! I love planing! Don't ask me how many planners I have laying around...

That is great you got new glasses picked out! I love getting new glasses, its so fun to change your look up just a bit.

[alene1]

PH, thanks for your words of encouragement!

August 11th, 2020

I don't feel like going back and writing down all my missed days, so I'm not going to. lol Been busy as usual with house stuff and life in general. We get our counters, flooring, and final plumbing done this week and next, so that's super exciting! DH just about has the irrigation system in, and then we will hydro seed shortly. What a relief to have that almost buttoned up. He has been working so hard.

Today I'm going to do some things around home, some exercise, and then head down to Mom's. I'm going to make her that chicken dinner with tarragon, parmesan and artichoke hearts I enjoy so much with some asparagus. We'll play a card game that she really likes. That's about it from here. Just putting along doing pretty well. I had a few days of struggle where I lost focus. I made molasses cookies from DH and the guys out at the house working with him on the irrigation. I did great all day but then ending up having some that night- quite a few. Having homemade cookies around isn't a good idea for me. The day before when I went to the beach I ended up just kind of eating what I wanted all day. A cinnamon roll mid-morning, pizza for lunch, and McDonald's for dinner. I think I got it out of my system. Once in a while maybe I'll just need to let myself do that. But wow I noticed a big difference in how I feel. Sluggish and bloated and mentally off my game. It's not really worth it. Plus of course I moved further away from my goal instead of closer and am just now getting back to my low. Feeling back in the zone now and ready to go onwards and downwards!

Exercise: 10M upper body
Steps: 5,170
Sleep Score:88
Plan: 41.4 to goal. All on track.

[pinkhippie]

That chicken dinner sounds delicious! I have a hard time with home baked goods too. I usually have to put some for me in the freezer and watch everyone around me continue to eat them. Its tough.

I know what you mean about having a few off days making you feel sluggish. It definitely makes you appreciate your habits and your plan!

Enjoy your day!

[alene1]

PH, thanks for coming by! I need to try some new recipes. I'm craving some different things. I'm going to go looking for some new recipes for next week's dinners.

Wednesday, August 12th, 2020

Exercise: 10M lower body workout + 35M evening walk
Steps: 12,177
Sleep Score: 85
Plan: 40.4 to goal. Had a very good day on plan. I made a yummy salad for our dinner out at the house. It was salads with roasted chicken, avocado, bacon, red onion, and blue cheese dressing. Yummers! There is something about avocado that is so nourishing. It feels like fertilizer for my body. I always feel so satisfied and content after eating it.

Thursday, August 13th, 2020

Yesterday was a good day. I went to Costco and got us a credit card to start using for all of our shared expenses. It's a little tricky navigating the finances when you first bring them together in a more cohesive way. Since we were dating, then lived together, and then got married, we are still figuring out our system. I think this will work well. We can use it for groceries, eating out, household stuff, and home/landscaping stuff and then just split it at the end of the month. We both like having some financial independence. I don't want anyone looking over my personal monthly purchases. lol I think it's very important to maintain our sense of autonomy as well as being a team.

I found a great channel on YouTube for workouts called MadFit. A lot of them are shorter - 10-20 minutes, and area-focused, so you can focus on a certain area. Short workouts are good as they don't make me really hungry like longer, more intense ones do. Taking evening walks along with these workouts seems to be a great combo! I like her instruction too. Not too chatty!

They put the countertops in yesterday! They look soooo good! We're so happy with them. It changes everything. They put a backsplash up as well as on the kitchen window ledge, so it looks really great! They did the same in the master bathroom with the ledge. They are working on the shower tiles in both bathrooms, and they're looking great! They should be done with those tomorrow I think. Sounds like floors might be going in tomorrow, but it could be next week as well. Such an exciting time. Each new thing just really adds to the look of things and the reality that we're getting really close now!

My daughter and son-in-law are coming out on Sunday to have a bbq with us and see the house. It will be the last time that they can bring the pups out for a while because we're hydroseeding on Monday. It will be such a relief to have that part of the landscaping done. My husband has been working so hard and he needs a break! Plus I need his attention to pick out some more stuff for the inside.

Today is going to be working on going through some things and sorting for Goodwill or take with us. I really need to get going on doing this now!!! Have a great day, all.

Exercise: 40M walk + 10M core
Steps: 10,191
Sleep Score: 75 - woke up at 4:30 and couldn't go back to sleep.
Plan: 39.8 to goal. So excited to hit the 30's!!

[automatedeating]

It was salads with roasted chicken, avocado, bacon, red onion, and blue cheese dressing. Yummers! There is something about avocado that is so nourishing. It feels like fertilizer for my body. I always feel so satisfied and content after eating it.

I totally agree about the avocado, and that whole meal does sound exactly like the kind of thing I love to eat!

[Octavia]

Hi Alene,
I like the sound of MadFit!! Thanks for mentioning that. I too like short workouts as they energise, rather than make me tired and/or hungry! Having said that, with the UK heatwave I’ve hardly moved recently, apart from to raise a glass of chilled Prosecco to my lips....

[alene1]

Auto, I really love that combo too. I think next week I'm going to do a salad with shrimp, avocado, and some cilantro. Yum!

Octavia, sure! I really like her style. She has like 2,500 free videos I think. That Prosecco sounds amazing! What part of the UK are you in?

[alene1]

Friday, August 14th, 2020

Yesterday all went well. Nothing too exciting. Thinking more and more about school. There's so much we still don't know on how we should be doing things. We don't even have our new curriculum! But I am going to stay as positive and energized as I possibly can and see this as my new challenge. To step up and really go the extra mile to find new, interesting, engaging ways to work with kids. I'm going to go spend the day in my classroom one day next week, and start really brainstorming, watching videos, and thinking of ways to do this. There's an intro to the curriculum that I can watch too. We don't start with kids till Sept. 14th so we have a little bit of time. I just know I don't want things to be anything like they were in the spring. I can do this!!!

I'm going to the beach with one of my fellow teachers today. It will be really nice to just go hang out and have some relax time. I'm going to get an iced coffee and bring a book. I wish I had a lounge chair! I will probably go with a towel. Other than that just a few errands. My daughter and SIL are coming on Sunday to BBQ, so I'm really looking forward to that.

I decided I need to start tracking my spending. We have been spending sooo much money on the house stuff, and I have also been very free with buying lots of misc. things for myself this summer. Can you say Amazon .....??? I found an app that looks awesome called Spending Tracker. It looks really intuitive and flexible. I'm excited to start using it and get real with myself!! Have a great day all.

Exercise:
Steps:
Sleep Score: 85
Plan:

[automatedeating]

Great idea on the Spending Tracker!

[pinkhippie]

It sounds like you have a great positive attitude about all the uncertainty ahead and I think that will really help!

That is great that you have time to figure stuff out too and don't start until the 14th of September!

Enjoy your beach time! That sounds lovely.

[alene1]

Thanks ladies! I'm enjoying the spending tracker and it's definitely affecting my spending habits. I am thinking twice about my buying whims! I'm learning to put things on my Amazon wish list that I feel like I need to have. That really helps! I'm waiting until I get my Amazon rewards points for the month and then I will pick something off my list. I bought a lot of house stuff in the last month so I should have a nice reward this month!

Busy times as always. We've been out at the house, and I've just gotten back into the classroom to start getting ready for school. It felt really good to be in my room yesterday. Nice to just have my own quiet space to work in and focus. I got my master list done and today I can start digging in. Yesterday I spent the day with my grandson, and it was SO nice. He even gave me a little "kiss" on my cheek. Love that boy so much! He's wearing shoes and walking really well now. I'm going to watch him all day Friday while my DIL is at work and my son is working from home.

All has been going well. The house is coming along, but we're waiting on flooring, which got delayed due to shipping delays. They will start on Monday, followed by final electrical and plumbing. Then I think just trim, appliances, and final touches!! Getting so close. We got the hydroseeding done on Monday, so that is awesome to have in.

Things are going well on plan. I'm still having some blips, but recover quickly and move on. They seem to mostly be related to extra hungry days. I need to get some cheese slices and cottage cheese on hand so I can just have a serving when I'm extra hungry. I think it's when I fight it that I end up just saying F it and eat whatever. Lately I seem to be able to work with stress urges. I can talk through them, distract myself, and step back to look at the big picture and what I really want, not just in the moment.

Okay, gonna get ready for the day and head to school. I'll be around to visit tomorrow!

Exercise:
Steps:
Sleep Score: 88
Plan: 38.4 to goal.

[automatedeating]

You got a really good night's sleep, didn't you?!

[lpearlmom]

You sound like you’re in a really good place. So fantastic. I do the same kind of thing with amazon. I add stuff i want throughout the week & only allow myself to checkout on Thursdays. I have a set budget that i have in mind so I have prioritize what i want most. The rest i put in “save for later”. It works for me!

[pinkhippie]

Sounds like you are doing well! A spending tracker is a great idea! It is scary how easy it is to spend hundreds of dollars with absolutely no effort now. Especially with the increase of ordering everything! I have been ordering a lot of houseware stuff too lately since we have been redoing our house. My wish list is pretty much nothing but books! It's the one luxury I feel guilty buying, which is so funny because in the scheme of things they are the cheapest!

[Octavia]

....same here...that Buy With One Click button on Amazon...and although I’m not going round the shops as I used to do as a leisure activity, I’m definitely spending more online.

Alene, I’m in the south east of England, not far from London. From a walk I often do, I get a great view of Windsor Castle!

[automatedeating]

Octavia, have you read "The Weight of Ink"? I adored that book. Something about your entry (southeast, but still near London) reminded me of it.

[alene1]

Auto, that was the best sleep score I've had in a while!

Linda, that's a great system. I think just giving ourselves time to ponder whether we really need something helps a lot. In the heat of the moment we just feel like buying! lol

PH, funny that books are the hardest for you to buy. They're the easiest for me!! Like you said, because they're cheaper I think. Plus usually I'm buying non-fiction, and it's for "self-betterment." The houseware stuff adds up fast, doesn't it?

Octavia, that sounds like a beautiful area, and what a view! I loved my time in England. My sister and I took a driving trip through Scotland and England. The English countryside was so amazing. I really want to come back.

[alene1]

Thursday, August 27th, 2020

It's been a while! Getting ready for school starting, shopping for the house, etc. has been using up most of my time. I've been in my classroom for several days getting things organized and ready. We finally found out when we're getting trained on our new curriculum - September 8th and 9th. I'm looking forward to it. Feeling bad that I can't give parents more information about what things will look like yet, but we're all doing the best we can. I'm really enjoying being back in my room. I got a new bookcase for my children's books. Found a used one for $15 that fit perfectly! I'll finish up with my files and then a little more prepping to get things ready for doing virtual circle time, etc. Getting there!

The house is almost there! Flooring was put in last week, and it looks beautiful. We just need carpet, final plumbing and electrical, and doors/trim. The landscape is coming along really nicely. The hydro-seed took off and it's looking like a lawn! Those darned foxes have been digging in it though! My DH was fit to be tied about that. We found a non-toxic product to put on it that they don't like and so far so good. We got a game cam and it's been a lot of fun watching the action going on at night!

Today I'm getting a pedicure, then shopping for a toy and outfit for my GS for when I babysit tomorrow. Going to look for a mattress today. We found one we like a lot, but of course it's a Tempurpedic and super expensive! I'd really like to find one that's more affordable. That's my mission today. Then on to Mom's for a visit and dinner. Staying overnight and then heading to my GS's who lives just 15 minutes away. Should be a great couple days. My last few days of freedom before I officially start work!

Eating and exercise have been good. I'm getting in 3 or 4 walks a week, which I would like to be more, but oh well. Steps have been pretty good overall though - 7,000-12,000 average. I've had a few off days here and there, but my weight continues to move down. I have 37 pounds left to go to goal. Only 10 more till I hit my wedding weight, which I'm very excited about. I'm going to try on my dress for some inspiration and fun. I've been looking at ExtendBarre. It looks super fun to me. I may get a subscription at some point.

Okay, better get to it. Have a great day all.

[automatedeating]

Pretty amazing that you have foxes on your property!

We are meeting with Adair Homes (building company) today just to hear about their process. We don't have enough cash on hand to buy another house without first selling this one, but with some creative options (cash out refi for example), we could possibly swing keeping this place as a rental. Probably a dangerously risky stretch for us, but we are just exploring options right now.

[alene1]

Hi Auto. How did that meeting with Adair go? From your journal it sounds like you've gone another route for now and have been very busy fixing up your current home! Those foxes were very busy for a while digging in our lawn but after it started coming in better they left it alone.

[alene1]

Hi all. I have really missed being here and being part of this community of support and kindred spirits. I am going to make a strong effort to begin posting here regularly again.

For a little update, we are moved into the house! We moved in on September 19th and are getting settled in. We don't have all of our furniture yet, but we're doing fine making do with what we have, but it sure will be great when everything is here! I am in the process of "cozifying" the house. I've never had hardwood style floors before, and it does take some work with rugs and other decor to make things feel cozy. We do have carpet in several of the rooms, which is really nice. Kitty has been a bit of an issue with worrying about her scratching the couches and doors but we're figuring it out! We've had some great get togethers with family already. We had my DH's son's small outdoor reception here the same weekend we moved in. A bit crazy! lol We had my daughter and SIL out for her birthday and I made them a nice dinner and dessert. It was so very nice to be able to cook here for my family. It just fills me up.

This weekend my son, DIL, and grandson are coming for a visit to find their pumpkin in our pumpkin patch. So much fun! Some of our pumpkins got spots and have rotted a little bit. I'm not sure why. But there are plenty for him to choose from. I bought T a toy box, and just ordered him some of my favorite childhood toys to go in it. A Fisher Price bus, stacker cups, a really cute, cloth boy baby, and some books. I can hardly wait for him to go in and explore it! I love having a place where we can have family over that is comfortable and roomy.

Work. Sigh. I have good days and bad. I'm still plowing through all the paperwork I need to do at the beginning of the year related to students' IEP's and setting up their programs for distance learning. That would all be okay, but I have this major stress that is having two teaching assistants with me all day that I have to keep busy. It's extremely stressful, because I can't focus on my work because I'm always thinking about what they can do next. When we have students we barely have a minute to catch a breath, and they only have a half day of prep for one of them. Now it's all week, and two of them, and it is really difficult. I just started having them take turns working from home, which is much better, but then I have to find stuff for the at-home worker to do too! lol Then the district asked for a daily schedule broken down into 30 minute increments of what paras are doing all day. Sigh. I'm sorry, but this just is undue pressure on us. There just isn't that much work for them now. The kids could come back in another month or so, so we need them to be here, but in the meantime, it's difficult. I'm sorry to go on about this and be a complainer, but it's really stressing me out!!! I just want some peace and quiet. Monday both of them worked from home and it was bliss. I could interact with families, get paperwork done, and just think without the pressure. I'm going to keep working on a schedule, and start having them do Zoom calls with individual students too. I will brainstorm with the other teachers today about what they are doing. They are all in the same boat.

On my health journey things are going really well. I know I haven't talked much about what I'm doing. I guess because it's very different from No-S and I felt kind of funny about that. But I think everyone here is very accepting about each of us finding our own sweet spot. The way I've been eating is 3 small meals and 3 small snacks each day. It keeps my blood sugar really steady and my carbs are just low enough that I stay in a light state of ketosis. With my binge eating history this is like an extra layer of self control that is extremely helpful for me. It helps me to find and hit the pause button when I want to eat emotionally. This feels like peace and freedom to me, to have a structured way of eating that helps me stay steady in body and mind. I've lost about 26 pounds now. I started at 198.8 and am at 172.8 as of this morning. My goal is about 145. That's where I felt really good, and would like to land.

I have done very little exercising the last month and a half. Not even evening walks. So busy with work and getting the house settled. But I am finding some more space in my brain to begin planning how I can get back into that habit. I haven't been doing my morning yoga either. I have a longer commute now so I am figuring out my morning routine and how to fit in the things that are most important to me. I've been feeling pretty out of touch with myself and what matters most to me in the busyness and stress. Just finding the time to come and post here and gather my thoughts is a good sign that I'm moving in the right direction.

I will come by and visit journals later this morning or tonight. I've been following along but just not posting. I'm happy to be back.

[automatedeating]

Hello Alene!!! Thank you for this wonderful update!

Congrats congrats congrats on the house!! My favorite part of your description was when you described the toy box for your little grandson and your favorite toys in it. He WILL have fun exploring that! I love watching toddlers go through boxes and cabinets and drawers.

My heart goes out to you about the undue pressure to keep the helpers busy. I actually have an idea (although probably you have already tried everything). Have them design their own lessons and tell them to take a whole week on it. You could point them toward some youtube videos about how to design a lesson, and then have them go to town and work all week on it. You may or may not ever implement the lesson; I think we both know that's not the point! And keep having them work from home! Yes, yes, yes! And on the 30 minute increment sheet, I would just make up some B.S. that sounds educationeze, and send the same one in each day/week (maybe move the items around a little). Another idea I have is to have the aids design their OWN schedule and turn it in, broken into 30 minute blocks. Each day they could come up with their own work, which would probably take them an hour, submit it to you for review, and you could fix it to make it sound more teachery for admin. Lastly, you are a trooper.

On to food. Yes, we accept all here! We are a tent as wide as the skies, and I support all experimentation as we find what works best for us. We are all different metabolically. Hahahaha! You mentioned you are in light ketosis; I've only started measuring that a couple weeks ago and apparently I am often in light ketosis as well! Surprise, surprise, I would have never guessed that. Also, you mentioned your blood sugar is steady. Are you measuring your glucose now too?

[pinkhippie]

Hi Alene!

Its so nice to hear from you! Sounds like you have been really busy! Congratulations on moving into your house! That is wonderful!

Sorry about the stress of school, that sounds INCREDIBLY stressful. I liked auto's ideas, maybe one of them would help?

I am glad your eating plan is working for you too! Congratulations on 172! What a good feeling!

Good luck with your school day tomorrow!

[alene1]

Auto, it was SO much fun watching my GS find his toy box and play with everything. By the time they were getting ready to leave the toys were spread around the house. lol But I love to see the house being lived in and memories made. We are still missing some of his stacking cups. Have no idea where he put them! lol

Thank you so much for your ideas for my paras. It really helped me think outside the box and get some fresh ideas. One of the things I'm doing is assigning them instructional/informational videos on different topics, other teachers doing lessons, etc. I'm going to have at least one of them do some videos for the kids on different topics that she's passionate about. They'll also do some weekly one-on-one Zooms with students. I'm feeling much better about all of that. We had to submit a general plan and I did that, and we don't have to send it in weekly. So I think that' whole stress is past!

I don't measure my blood glucose, but I have a meter and have in the past. But I am so in tune with my body and the way it feels when I eat more carbs at a time, or carbs that are on their own without protein/fiber/fat that I can feel the balance. I'm not having the woozy feeling at all, and my hunger is very much on an even keel and no sudden hunger that comes from a blood sugar dip. My meals are very balanced in protein/carbs/fiber. My head feels clearer, and I just feel more like "me." It feels so good to have that balance. It's what my body needs.

Things here are good. School is settling down and settling in. Figuring out the new curriculum and how I'm going to use it. We had a fun day yesterday with my DH's son and family. We did a sandwich bar and I made pumpkin bars for them with candy corn on top. The boys really liked that. We got our TV up on the wall last night. We're not big TV watchers, but we wanted it for movies and maybe to watch a series together here and there. I have to say it felt a bit like an invader into our quiet and tranquil home. I am so thankful that neither of us is big TV watchers. That used to drive me crazy in my first marriage when he always wanted that TV on! We do watch things on our iPads in bed sometimes, and that's a nice way to do it. Nice and quiet for the other person. lol

I went and bought some new clothes yesterday. Mostly light sweaters and long-sleeved light shirts, and one pair of pants. I only have a few pair left that fit, and those are getting pretty baggy. I need to get a new bra, and a few pairs of jeans. I'm going to go pretty inexpensive until I hit where I want to stay. It will feel good to have some pretty new clothes to wear! Weight today was 169.4, so I was pretty dang happy to be in the 160's again!

Oh, got a hair cut!! My hair has been long and basically in the same style for a long time, so it was a little scary. But I'm so glad I did! It's just below chin length in the front, and shorter in back. She put in some long layers. My hair is pretty wavy, so I can just scrunch and go and then do a bit with the straightener on my bangs and just around my face. Super fast and way faster than before when I was drying it and then straightening it! I think the whole long hair thing is very much tied to it being a feminine and attractive thing to have longer hair. It felt really freeing to go shorter!!

I hope everyone has a great Sunday.

[pinkhippie]

HI Alene!

Glad you are figuring out your curriculum.

Congratulations on being in the 160's again! All my pants are too big too but no one sees me so I have just been cinching them with a belt. I have been pondering changing my dressing style up a bit this fall and winter with more skirts too.

I know what you mean about tv being an invader in your home. My husband likes TV much more than me. Not TV per se but video games and such. We do like to watch movies, but when he isn't here the TV is on very little.

Congratulations on the hair cut! It is scary to get that much length cut off yet it IS so freeing! I bet it looks great! That is similar to my hair cut right now and I love it. Showers are so much quicker and so is drying time!

[lpearlmom]

It sounds like things are going really well. So glad to hear! Your hair sounds super cute. I really think most ppl look better with short to medium length hair. Can you believe I still haven’t gotten a haircut since the pandemic started? Mine is getting long for me (shoulder length) and I’m enjoying it but boy would I love a nice haircut and color. Maybe I’m being over cautious...

Congratulations on the 160s. I’m still stuck in the 170s but hopefully I’ll join you soon!

[alene1]

PH, yes, you should get some new clothes! It makes such a difference in how you feel, I think. I am realizing that I haven't internalized the outside changes to the inside yet, and that's important. I am going to move from just finding clothes that covered my body and looked passable to really finding my style and having fun with it! I love the clothes I've seen in ads for J.Jill and I'm going to invest in some of their clothes when I reach the weight I'd like to stay at. But not yet. Too expensive!! But I think at age 54 it's time to treat myself to high quality clothes that fit my body well, flatter me, and make me feel great! I love wearing skirts too. I think I will add some of those at well. It's hard to wear skirts to work though since I'm on the floor with preschoolers some times1 lol Have fun when you do decide to start shopping. Yes, loving the hair and the quick styling! So great.

Linda, thank you. I'm very happy to be here at this point weight-wise. I understand how you feel about the hair cut and color. I've gotten a couple cuts but I color my own. My stylist works alone so that made me feel better. You'll know when the right time is for you.

[alene1]

Tuesday, October 13th, 2020

Hello all. I have a different kind of week this week. My husband came down with cold/flu symptoms Sunday so he went ahead and got tested yesterday to be safe. We are staying in until he gets the results in 2 or 3 days. It's actually been kind of nice just to get to stay home. I worked here yesterday and made a video for the kids from my office. I got my work stuff from my para, who left it out on the sidewalk for me. He is feeling much better and I think it was just some kind of a bug. Hopefully!

Doing a Zoom with the kids this morning and then just doing misc. stuff for work the rest of the day. I'm going to finally make my workout plan and my morning and afternoon routine on paper. I'm never going to get in the flow with my workouts till I plan it!!

We got our concrete done and it looks great! We got the front porch and the borders on the driveway stamped, and we'll stain them soon. We're getting our windows washed and blinds up soon and that will really be nice and complete the nice look of the windows. Little by little we're getting things all done! That's about it from here. Hope everyone has a nice Tuesday.

Steps: 6,586
Exercise: 10M upper body
Eating: On point

[alene1]

IMG_0600(1).jpg (32.12 KiB) Viewed 107063 times

I'll post some more soon of the inside once we get our windows washed, blinds up, and the rest of our furniture.

[lpearlmom]

Omygosh what a beautiful view. Im so envious!

[alene1]

Thanks Linda! It has been so nice to wake up to.

[alene1]

Wednesday, October 14th, 2020

Yesterday was a good day. I worked from home and did a Zoom with the kids. We got a pretty white wooden hamper put together (think IKEA!) with lots of parts. Thankfully all the screws were there.lol I actually exercised yesterday!!! I was happy to just do something, anything. I know that posting about it here gave me a little extra push. It did feel good to use weights again and connect with my body. We will have blinds soon and then I can use my exercise room. Nothing much else to report. Today is a non-class day for preschool, so I will be doing lots of paperworky kinds of things and finding an art project for my para to prep. Here's to a good Wednesday!

Exercise: none
Steps: 7,584
Eating: Well, I had a pretty big afternoon stress-eat. It was a combo of Covid-fatigue, politics stress, and the weird week we've had working from home and worrying about DH's test results. I actually don't feel bad about it. I did try for a good part of the day to relax, let it go, etc., and did get through a lot of the day. It was a very conscious decision to use food to relieve the stress and anxiety that I was feeling. I actually came to the realization that once in a while it's fine with me if I do that. If it's a pretty rare occasion then it will minimally affect my health and well-being. I think what does affect my well-being is when I feel guilt and despair and it's a strategy I use often and unconsciously. Moving on, and will wait a few days to weigh again.

[automatedeating]

I'm with Linda! That view is amazing!

Oh, and so cool that you will have an exercise room, as well!

[alene1]

Thanks Auto! Yes, it is so nice to have that space. It's also a guest room with just a twin bed, but not our main one. Once your kids have flown the nest you get lots of extra space for you!

[alene1]

Wednesday, October 15th, 2020

DH's test was negative! Such a relief, and now we are able to get our blinds installed today, which I'm very happy about. They'll be up when we get home from work. The window washers ended up canceling at the very last minute, which was pretty annoying. We will give them one more chance and hopefully they will do a good job and show up! There aren't that many people in this area that do windows.

I just couldn't get settled down to work after the the window washing was a no-go. On edge waiting to hear about DH's test results, and Wednesday is a paperwork day with no class for kids. So I finally decided I would get out and try to get some things done in a different environment. I got a coffee from Starbucks and went to a state park one town over. It's on the water and there weren't a whole lot of people there. There were lots of picnic tables in the sun and in the shade, and beach-walking. It was just what the doctor ordered. A little step away from the reality of life right now. It made me realize just how much I've missed two things. Spending time by myself, and spending time out in nature. That has always been something that we do together and apart. Hiking, taking walks, spending time by the water. It's what my soul needs to feel peaceful and connected. No meals out, no coffee dates out. No hiking due to lack of time and wanting to be careful. Life has truly been upturned for everyone, and people with children at home even more. Anyway, I guess we all just have to figure out the things that we can do during these times to try and feel good.

I watched a dumb show on TV which I don't really do, and it was a good escape from reality. Today is a fresh new day, and I'm excited to get back to work! Speaking of, better get to it. I hope everyone has a very good Thursday. Almost the weekend!

Exercise: none
Steps: 7,555
Eating: on point

[lpearlmom]

Somehow I missed your husband was getting tested but SO glad he’s okay! (I think you distracted me with the view).

[alene1]

Thanks Linda. We were very glad too!

[alene1]

Friday, October 16th, 2020

Good morning and happy Friday! I had a great day at work yesterday. I was so productive and so were my paras. I get so much more done when I work in my classroom. We had a good Zoom with the kids and it went well with the student who comes in to work with us. Today should be good too. Lots of paperwork and then I'll make my Field Trip Friday video. I'll be looking for animals/bugs in trees. We are studying about trees right now and that's our focus this week. I'll probably just film it in the woods right here by our house. Hoping to see at least a squirrel and of course I'll see some birds. Maybe we'll get lucky and see something else! I better check the weather forecast and see when it's supposed to start raining.

Tonight we're having a date night. We may just get teriyaki take-out and watch our first movie on our new TV. It will be so nice to actually do something together! We have been so focused on the house and on having people over that we haven't had time to do anything like this for the longest time. We have a very busy weekend ahead of family coming over both Saturday and Sunday, and I may head to the Seattle area for a quick visit to see my son/dil and GS. I'm making a carrot cake tomorrow for my recently married step-son and his partner, and then a blackberry crisp for my sil and daughter when they come Sunday for his birthday. Lot so fun this weekend! I have to say though that I'm looking forward to some slower weekends ahead so we can go on a walk/hike, and also get my storage unit cleaned out. If the weather is good next weekend, that's the plan. I am so thankful though that everyone enjoys coming to spend time with us here. Huge blessing!!!

No exercise the last couple days. At least I got one day in this week so far! lol Maybe DH and I can at least get our for a walk on Saturday after our company heads home. Have a great weekend all!

Exercise:none
Steps: 7,028
Eating: Eating went well. We did get teriyaki and I ordered it without sauce and just did a little dipping. They serve it with a steamed cabbage and that hit the spot!

[lpearlmom]

Sounds like a busy but exciting time! Your baked goods sound wonderful. Are you a big baker?

Enjoy your date night!

[alene1]

Linda, I really do love to bake. I love making something that other people really enjoy. I enjoy cooking dinner for people, but prefer baking. Some of the most-loved seem to be my carrot cake, coconut cake, and German chocolate cake. Last weekend I made pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting, and that went over well. It's fun to try new recipes. I have never made blackberry crisp, but my SIL requested that. So I found a recipe that got good reviews, and will tweak it just a bit after reading the reviews. Hopefully it's yummy!

[alene1]

Saturday, October 17th, 2020

Up early this morning. Couldn't sleep past 4:30 for some reason. I'm sipping coffee and will soon get ready to head into town and get groceries for the weekend. Our guests are coming at noon, so I need to get the cake made, cooled, and frosted by then, and prep the lunch stuff so I can relax and enjoy with everyone. DH will be in charge of doing a little cleaning. Things are in good shape, but the bathrooms could use a quick swoosh and the floors a vacuum.

I hope to get out to walk today if the weather allows. Also thinking about doing a bit of shopping this afternoon if it isn't too late. Probably it will be. We're 45-50 minutes from good shopping. I want to go to Kohl's and J.Jill to look for sweaters. I found a few pair of pants online that I ordered but I want to find a few more sweaters. Nothing much else to report.

Exercise: 30 minute walk
Steps: 9,920
Eating: Good day of eating.

[Octavia]

Happy shopping, Alene!

[automatedeating]

You had big plans for your Saturday! Hope things were really fun and went well.

[alene1]

Thanks Linda and Auto. No shopping but I did get a walk in!

[alene1]

Sunday, October 19th, 2020

Exercise: none
Steps: 5,495
Eating: It went fine. I did have a very small serving of my blackberry crisp, and I have to say it was divine. Especially the crunchy, buttery, sweet topping!!

Monday, October 20th 2020

Busy weekend but lots of fun. Here we go, Monday!

Exercise:none
Steps: 7,055
Eating: Good eating day. I felt the Monday stress, trying to get back into the routine feelings that often come up on Mondays. I was a little extra hungry too. I did make it through the day, but had to use some will power, some gum, and then was able to work through the emotions. I listened to a positive thoughts podcast on the way home and that gave me some good food for thought that helped me move through the feelings into more productive thinking.

[automatedeating]

your homemade blackberry crisp DOES sound divine! A perfect northwest fall treat.

[pinkhippie]

Sounds like a lovely weekend!

Your list of baked goods made me hungry! Those all sound delicious! I am thinking I need to make a carrot cake very soon.

Hope your Monday is going well!

[alene1]

Auto, yes, it was a great NW treat!

PH, good to see you! You have been missed. Carrot cake is hard to beat!!

[alene1]

Tuesday, October 20th, 2020

Happy Tuesday all! Tuesday is usually a much better day for me. Getting back in the flow of work and the week. Today we will get some more of our furniture, and that is very exciting! Our living room has been quite bare, with only the couches and not end or coffee table. We'll also get our entertainment center to go below our TV, and the stools to go with our island. Almost there!

Weight was 169 this morning. Slowly moving down. I got some new jeans yesterday and I looked at them before trying them on and thought there was no way they would fit, but they did! Just a touch snug, but totally fine to wear out. I need to align my insides with my outsides. Feeling really good though about my progress, how I feel, and being healthier and more agile.

My GS's birthday is coming up soon and I ordered him a wooden table and two chairs, and also a wooden puzzle and magnadoodle type toy that is made for younger kids. We'll take it over on Saturday and see him in his costume. So much fun.

Exercise: none
Steps: 7,132
Eating: Major emotional eat yesterday afternoon. More later on that.

[pinkhippie]

Aww thank you Alene! I missed everyone too!

That is awesome about your jeans! Such a good feeling when you buy new clothes that you think are too small and they fit! I know what you mean about your insides matching with your outsides. After losing weight I often pick out clothes that are way too big to take to the dressing room and then am confused when they basically fall off. And then, I finally get the smaller sizes and they actually fit! It's interesting how our brain sees our body size and clothes.

Sounds like awesome presents for your Grandson! I am sure his parents will really appreciate them as well.

[automatedeating]

Yes, great gifts!! those well-made wooden toys are always the most pleasing to the touch for kids, too.

[alene1]

PH, it really is a strange thing. I guess it just takes time for the outer and inner to align.

Auto, I love wooden toys too! They never go out of style!