Heather |

Put junk in, get junk out

I’ve been thinking about this for a while but wanted to write all of it down and get some thoughts and ideas. I feel like I’ve got the exercise thing down (said with humility, haha). Aerobics, weights, conditioning classes paired with the running…check. I’m always learning new things and am by NO means an expert, but I feel like I’ve got the exercise part of the equation down. Love a good sweat and workout!

The other half of the monster is what’s going into my body. I feel like I’ve been so exhausted, sluggish and achey lately. Now granted there’s the whole mother to young kids exhaustion that comes into play, but when I thought about what I’ve been eating everything started making more sense. It’s been junk, if I’m honest. I’ll have the random piece of fruit here or lean protein there but mostly it’s been frozen chicken nuggets, mac n cheese, canned soups, PB&J and processed, processed, processed the list goes on. These things aren’t terrible, but I have a feeling they’re not meant to be long term sustenance for my body.

Here’s where I need help! I don’t know if it’s new dinner ideas that I need or just a push in the direction towards “real” food. As much as I’d like to think so, chicken nuggets are not real food. Well, not really good for you food. I know white bread is virtually pointless, so I’ve started buying a multigrain bread. I know juice isn’t exactly healthy so I’ve cut back, but I’m still chugging 1% milk like nobody’s business. Is almond milk better? What about cooking oils, don’t some give you cancer or something? And then what about vitamins? I’m SURE the gummy multivitamin I’m giving the kids isn’t the best option.

Seriously, I need a book or a website or some input to help move me in the right direction. I’m not looking for some miracle food shake or overnight changes. Just a slow introduction into what I should be putting into my body and giving my family. I’m not even looking to go vegan or eat 100% organic. I’m just looking to make better choices!

Randoms

by Heather | 0 comments

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these “life update” posts, so here it goes. We’re 4-5 months into the school year and the schlepping back and forth and back and forth every day is getting pretty old (at least we live right down the road). It’s really the traffic and suiting two kids up in winter gear to drop Ben off for 2.5 hours then turn around and do it again. Last year was all play dates, the park and library and random outings, but now it’s all school and school friends and not as much “do whatever we want” type mornings. I kind of miss the freedom, but am super happy to see all Ben is learning and how excited he is for school. And we do shoot to the library and park when it was warmer, after school and between lunch. I need to start doing one on one things with Cassidy again, we’ve mostly just gone to the Y during Ben’s school time.

I keep looking at houses and properties online, such a bad habit. We’ll be in this house for a while and it certainly has it’s advantages (and I love what we’ve done with it) but can’t help but think/dream of the future. I have to find a happy medium of being content here for now and still thinking about that acreage we hope to have some day. It’s funny, I tend to like the house more when it’s clean…hmm…

Speaking of the house, people have asked what our next project will be. Honestly, there’s a lot of little things to finish up (namely trim and random things). There are a few floor tiles in the kitchen where the grout has cracked, we need to fix those. I pleaded with Andy to change the grout color in the upstairs bathroom (I don’t know WHY I chose the color I did 7 years ago) and he finally did it for me :) Well, I had to dremel out the old grout and he regrouted with a much nicer color. I would love love love to get a deck on the back of the house this summer, but that’ll be around $2,000+ which we’d have to save up for :(

I was browsing free eBook downloads on amazon and found St. Ives by Robert Louis Stevenson. It’s about a French officer’s imprisonment by the British during the Napoleonic war. Snooze fest? Haha, actually it’s a love story too and is proving to be a pretty good read. I made the mistake of watching the 1998 movie version on Netflix though…it was, interesting. Kind of in the Monty Python fashion (which I enjoy, but this movie was just odd). Hopefully the classic book is better :)

It isn’t even February yet and I’m itching for spring, sigh. I have to start planning the veggie garden soon and planting seeds in a month or two. I love that winter means no outside chores but I can’t wait for warmer weather.

I’m still running for exercise too! (Running away?) It’s actually really fun to run outside in the winter, I never would have thought. The Y girls and I are doing Pittsburgh again in May too. I’m on the relay team (not doing another half yet) but I feel like half marathons and further distances might be a bit like childbirth. During it and for a few months after you swear you’d never go through it again and then lo and behold, you sign up for another 13.1 miles. Actually I just found out there’s a Star Wars Half Marathon weekend out at Disney in California, that would be awesome to do some day!

So I ran a half marathon

by Heather | 2 Comments

A little over 4 months ago I got this crazy idea to run the Corning Wineglass Half Marathon. For a number of reasons, it was a bucket list thing and a personal challenge to myself. Ben was going to start school and Cassidy was going to turn a year old, a lot of changes were going on.

So I ran. A lot. My training schedule was 12 weeks long with two short runs (3-4 miles) on Tuesday and Thursday. Then a longer run on the weekend that gradually increased up to 12 miles. Some runs I was lucky enough to do with friends, others were by myself. Thankfully we had a beautiful summer so most runs were outside in the sunshine and I only had to do the dreadmill a few times.

Saturday afternoon we headed down to pick up my race packet at the Corning Museum of Glass.

We spent the night at Andy’s Aunt and Uncle’s log cabin in the woods. I love this place and these people! My friend Tracy had actually signed up for the race so her and her husband spent the night as well. Becky came to cheer us on too!

Andy fixing Uncle Dan’s computer.

Aunt Bonnie made us an amazing spaghetti pie dinner with salad, homemade bread and chocolate cake. We enjoyed spending time together the night before the race.

The morning of the race Tracy and I had to get dropped off in town so we could take a shuttle to the start line. It was FREEZING (yes, actually low 30s) while we waited for the buses.

The most beautiful sunrise over a corn field at the start of the race.

Almost ready to go!

And we’re off!

The course was absolutely beautiful. Hills and streams, horses and old houses with barns. The leaves were also just starting to change to fall colors. Cell phone pics while running really don’t do it justice!

There was an injury though. Around mile 8 I forgot to pick up my feet and didn’t clear a pothole ;-) I wiped out and scraped up my hands and shin. There was a bit of blood but I got up and kept going.

Mile 11. Are we there yet?

The finish line at 13.1 miles! Timer on the left was for the full marathon that had started after us. Timer you can’t see is on the right. My goal time was under 2 hours 30 minutes and I came in at 2:24 :) I’d also wanted to run the entire race, which I did except for walking through a few water stops.

I made it!

Medals were beautiful.

Tracy and I. She finished 8 minutes before me!

Some of the other finishers coming in.

The signs Becky had made for me :)

We went out to lunch afterwards with Tracy’s family.

Home, showered and wearing the super cute race shirt! People have asked if I’d do another one…maaaaaaybe. Probably ;-) I was worried about my knees because they’d been pretty achy after long runs (even with new sneakers) but was pleasantly surprised they were ok after the actual race. I was sore, but now a few days later am feeling fine. So yes, there may be another some day. It was such a hard, awesome, personal growth, find something inside of you experience. Still not quite calling it “fun” yet though :)

A camping we will go

by Heather | 0 comments

Wow, posts have been pretty infrequent around here. It seems like once Ben started school life has gotten CRAZY and I’ve been super exhausted with the shuffle of it all. And Cassidy’s back to waking up at 5am again, but that’s neither here nor there.

Andy and I needed a weekend away! So we headed up to Indian Lake in the Adirondacks and rented a campsite for the weekend. This wasn’t your typical camping though, we rented a site on an island and packed all our gear in the canoe and headed out. Andy had actually bought a 2HP outboard motor on craigslist and hooked it up to the canoe so we didn’t even have to paddle the 4.5 miles upstream to our site.

It was freezing! But it was so much fun. Just being away and existing in the quiet was great! We went with friends and pretty much had the entire island to ourselves. We camped in tents but there were a few amenities like campfire rings, picnic tables and outhouses so it wasn’t just a complete drop in the wilderness. The DEC guys also came to check up on campers each morning to make sure things were going well.

I just brought my cell phone since I didn’t want to deal with my big camera and the canoe and water (that just sounded like a disaster). Pics don’t really do it justice, it was beautiful up there! I’d definitely go again!

Thanks to the grandparents and neighbors who made the trip possible by taking care of the little ones!

Organizing, my favorite!

by Heather | 0 comments

I love school supplies, I’m kind of bummed Ben only needs a backpack and change of clothes this year. All the markers, pens, protractors, college ruled paper, folders and crisply sharpened pencils. Mmmm, my favorite time of year. And then my sister posted a little instagram video of her custom teacher’s notebook and I couldn’t stop drooling. I wish I could somehow justify making an organized paper notebook/calendar but Google calendar just works best for me right now. It got me thinking about other calendar and life organization type things though.

Google Calendar
My life. Seriously I have calendars set up for birthdays and anniversaries (blue), social and activity calendar (orange) and a house cleaning schedule (green). The cleaning calendar is only loosely followed ;-) Actually that could be a post in itself, I’ve needed something to keep me on track so I don’t find myself waking up Saturday mornings realizing everything in the house is disgusting, dishes are piled high in the sink and cat fur tumbleweeds are drifting by because I haven’t vacuumed in three weeks (don’t judge). I think once the kids start getting their own events and stuff too I’ll color code their activities. I really love having our family schedule available on the computer and on my phone when we’re out.

Google Tasks
An app on my phone and computer that ties into my email and calendar. I use the checklist feature for my grocery list and also have my errands, weekly meals and things to do lists.

Evernote
My other life saving tool. I have all my recipes organized by category here (appetizer, beverage, breakfast, dessert, main and sidedish). I also have notes of recipes to try and if they make the cut they go into the official recipe section. Then there are notes for every other random thing so I don’t have to keep it in my head. These include my list of Benisms, parenting articles, my list of books to read, preschool activities to try, the kids’ vaccine schedules, places and adventures in the area we want to try and things I’m researching (farm marketing, agritourism, adoption and raised bed gardening).

Meal Planning
Ugh, a necessary evil. I usually grocery shop on Wednesdays or Thursdays, so the night before I sit down and pick three or four dinners for the week (from my Evernote recipes) and put all the ingredients I need to pick up in Google Tasks grocery list. We have a dry erase board on the fridge that we jot things down on too and I’ll add those to my digital list. I’ll also go through and see if I have any applicable coupons for the week.

Pen and Paper
I do actually use old fashioned pen and paper for journaling and devotions. I usually try to do this before bed at night when kids are quiet and I’m guaranteed some alone time. I spend 10-15 minutes writing things I’m thankful for and praying for people. You really can’t beat a nice notebook and pen for journaling!

I think I have a pretty good “home management” and keeping track of my “adult life” (and now little one’s lives) system in place. I’m thankful Andy has his own calendars and systems set up for car maintenance (oil filters, tire rotation, etc) and house maintenance (although that’s an ongoing thing). He also pays the bills (how did I get so lucky???). I know what’s going on with the bills and student loans/mortgage, but so thankful it’s something Mr. Reliable handles!

I was also curious what other people do to keep things running smoothly. Do you have a drool worthy organized notebook or is everything digital? Anything I should try? Or are you floundering aimlessly and need to set some kind of system up for yourself?