New Year, New Focus

I totally skipped over 2016, there was not a single blog post. I realize in looking back that in a lot of ways 2016 was a whirlwind, but in terms of blogging, I derailed again on food and exercise and that left me feeling like didn't have anything to talk about here.

So I'm beginning again, but this time with new focus. I've spent a lot of the last year working on self-care, dumping old bad habits (hey, codependency), and trying to modify my behaviors and actions in relation to how I function in the world. Reduce my anxiety. It's getting better.

Last night I had friends over for NYE, a couple, T and P, and we were talking about new year's resolutions and T has always had the practice of giving her year a theme instead of making a single resolution and I just love that. I did it last year and my theme was art every day, which I was largely successful at, only a few missed days here and there and I can see how it elevated my skill. In the process, I fell in love with watercolor and have spent countless hours on that.

This year's theme is going to be about making space. I have been slowly purging my physical space (home) and holy crap, have purged a ton and still have so much more. I don't think a truly minimalist lifestyle is for me, but I do want to have fewer things to care for so I can increase the time I have in my schedule for things I love. That's what making space is going to be about for me. Whether it's relationships that are no longer relevant or working, things taking up too much space and time, or whatever it is I need to let go or move out of the way to make space, that's where my focus will be. I want more time for art, family, friends, and pet projects.

This year I also plan to make space for job hunting. I've been in the same job for 8+ years and I'm ready for a new challenge. I plan to stay at the same place, just look outside my division for a better fit. Job hunting feels like this monumental task right now, but I know it will be a worthwhile endeavor and hopefully will make way for new challenges and a more fulfilling role. I've been beating my head against the wall in my current division trying to redefine my role and adjust perceptions to something that more accurately reflects my skills, but the reality is that I've been pigeon-holed and the culture of our department is not to promote from within. Time to quit hitting my head with a hammer, embrace the fear of a new place, and give it a whirl. I won't know if I don't try.

So going forward this space will be a journal of sorts, a place to record the teeny victories along the way toward making space and whatever else is going on.

This morning I hung three pictures and removed several nails in the wall that had nothing hanging on them -- the result of rearranging furniture. It took five minutes and this teeny little task has been on my to-list for months. What is it about humans that we tend to avoid or procrastinate about the silliest things, or is it just me?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Changes

Somehow six months went by without me writing a darn thing. I blame Netflix and HuluPlus. I have become a full-blown addict. I have watched every episode of Six Feet Under, Parks & Rec, Scandal, The Mindy Project, New Girl, and about 1.5 seasons of The L Word. Enough is enough. Time for a TV fast. Today is day 2 of 7. I might go longer. I only missed it for a few minutes last night and then I was over it. I'm pretty sure my sleep will improve because I'm certain that falling asleep watching TV cannot be good if one hopes to get quality sleep, plus I easily convince myself to stay awake a few minutes longer so I can finish an episode. It's a slippery slope! I used to not spend so much time watching TV. I'm not sure what happened. Since I didn't spend my down time glued in front of the TV yesterday I got a ton of stuff done. In fact, I was so tired I went to bed at 10. That's pretty unheard of for me. Usually I'm pushing it to midnight or so to watch whatever I'm currently hooked on.

Over the past few months I've been working on eating habits and increasing my exercise. I've been cooking more, eating more veg, and have developed an insatiable appetite for spicy and sour food.  I recently made picked red onion and it was THE BOMB.

Lentil salad, turkey burger with Swiss, and pickled red onion.

I've been also been faithfully logging on MyFitnessPal for 90+ days and it's definitely helping my awareness. I don't have a very good sense of what I'm eating unless I track but I think that's getting better, too. Initially I was always hungry and trying to figure out how to squeeze out a few extra calories. Now, many days I leave calories on the table. I go over now and again too, but usually nothing major. I think the overall picture looks good. I'm also working on being OK with imperfections in this area. In the past I would chastise myself for not achieving 100% success and soon I would find myself discouraged and give up. Now I try to think something more along the lines of "pretty good day" or "meh, not your best day, there's always tomorrow." I am trying to give myself the same freedom to be a human as I would my friends. I would never scold a friend for a night's indulgence or one too many trips for froyo. I would tell them to dust off and try again. So far I've lost about 20 pounds. Same goes for the scale. I had a couple weigh-ins where I had gained a few. Instead of freaking out about what a loser I am I told myself, "oh well, try to be a bit more conscientious next week and see what happens. The most important thing is being healthy, not what the scale says." Inevitably, the couple pounds disappeared without me being a total bitch to myself. Usually the only thing I needed to adjust was increasing my water intake. I tend to be bloaty by nature and not drink enough water. Easy enough fix.

On the exercise front I've been trying new things. Historically I have generally not been a fan of any sort of exercise other than maybe yoga. I just wrapped up an water exercise class that I really enjoyed. I've tried Zumba a few times with the BFF. Tomorrow I'm trying a yoga class at a studio I've not visited before. I'm trying to stay open and see what happens. My friend Kelly even promised to teach me to throw and catch so I can try out softball next year (a friend asked me to play this year). It's unlikely I'll become a hardcore athlete but it feels good to move my body and get around a bit easier. I've noticed that stairs are much easier than they were a few months ago. After knee surgery last summer my knee got very weak and it was really hindering my comfort in doing a lot of activities. Slowly things have started to improve. I've been walking a lot and taking the stairs when it's practical and sometimes just for a few extra steps. Oh! I got a Fit Bit. I <3 it. It's made such a huge difference in being able to gauge my activity for the day. I have a 6k daily goal and being able to see progress throughout the day really helps me plan my day. Since I work on a college campus it's pretty easy to find an excuse to walk somewhere most days. Lately it's been pretty damn hot for lunch time walking but I can still sneak in a few extra steps in the tunnels and by weaving in and out of buildings. Next up, I'm going to dust off my bike and take it for a spin.

What have you been up to this summer?

Oh, Hai

Hi there friend, it's been a while. So much has happened...

The Good:

I got a Kick Ass Award! I am now the proud owner of a very tall trophy of a dude kicking a donkey's ass an was honored to be counted among a lot of really fucking awesome people in St. Louis. I'll be honest, I missed most of my introduction because I was so busy jumping up and down like a Price is Right contestant. Something about nice...community...helping others. Who cares! I haven't gotten a trophy since 3rd grade and everyone on the bowling team got one.

There have been foster kitties. 

Tallulah and Blueberry got adopted on xmas eve!

Then this little lady made her way into our life...meet Chryssi, the sweetest little bug-eyed kitty you ever did see! At a mere 10 ounces, Chryssi had been living in a hobo's coat in the freezing cold surviving on peanut butter sandwiches and beer. She's got funny eyes, but she's healthy and super snuggly! #beersaaveslives

1 lb. 4 ounces of fluffball love!

Also, Chryssi made it in the Riverfront Times. She's totally famous.

The not-so-good:

I lost two very dear friends this winter. First Judy, then Diane. Both were older and both had long lists of medical problems. Many, many tears were shed.

First, Judy. We have been friends for 17 years. We worked together for about eight of them. She was one of the smartest people I've ever known. I really do think she knew just about everything. Most of all she loved her family, beagle puppies, and the NYT crossword puzzle. She loved me and I loved her. We adopted each other long ago. Bon Voyage, Mama Judy. I miss you every day.

Mama Judy being adorable like always.

Sweet Diane. Truly a gem in so many ways. She was one of the kindest and loveliest people I've ever known. We worked together for several years before she retired and she was loved by staff and students alike. Her legacy is encouragement. Even when her illnesses were seemingly getting the best of her, she always looked forward, encouraged others, and expressed gratitude. Her light still shines bright. 

Diane helped celebrate my Grump Cat themed 40th birthday!

My sweet Mr. Wobbles got ill and I had to make the decision to let him go. He was a good buddy for over a decade and my own personal teddy cat. I miss him constantly.

Wobbz had the best fur, so soft and velvety!

All in all it's been a crazy few months. This last week or so has been consumed with homeless winter outreach. It's a regular winter gig for me, but we had some really severe winter weather and it's been more challenging than usual. It continues to be rewarding, but also very cold and super exhausting. To add some fun to the mix a pipe burst and my heat went out in the same 24 hours resulting a big soggy mess in the basement and no water for 48 hours. Mercifully, the heat was fixed the same day. Oh, the drama.

So some shit has happened, people. Grief and challenges aside, things are still relatively "good." I have an awesome kid, lovely friends, a warm bed to sleep in (with a fancy new electric blanket, thanks Santa!), a roof over my head, a job I mostly like, and lots of sweet furry animals to snuggle. Really, things are pretty ok. My therapist lady says I should journal so I'm going to bring this blog back from the dead and make a more regular appearance. The focus is changing though. I'm just going to see where the mood takes me and not worry about focusing on any particular topic. That's just where I'm at today -- a little all over the place.

Teeny Trainer Kicks My Arse

Yesterday was a definite teeny victory, perhaps even a biggish one. I had my first post-surgery workout last week and my first trainer meeting yesterday with Gretchen. Gretchen is the cutest darn pocket-size ball of fitness fire and boy did she ever kick my ass. I'm embarrassingly out of shape after a summer of Percocet and laying on the couch recovering. Gretchen is having none of that. For the next two weeks (until we meet again) I have the plan pictured below to master. For you fitter folks who aren't pathetically out of shape, you will probably snicker at my list, but let me tell you, I was sweating my ass off and I can barely walk today. Gretchen says I can whine all I want as long as I do it. No mercy! :P

The two items at the top were the killers. My knee is still really weak and it's going to take some time to improve my strength, I think. The bench squat is meant to be done by squatting to hover over the bench, but my knees are still too weak and I have to sit on the bench and get up again. The slow step ups are using a wooden box that's about a foot or so high and I have to step up and step down. Stairs are still really hard for me so this is a definite challenge. My knee just doesn't want to cooperate sometimes. I'm looking forward to when this becomes an easy task. I did finish

Anyhoo, otherwise, things are going ok. I counted calories all week last week and gained three pounds. I can only assume water weight is responsible and I have not been drinking enough for sure. Today I have challenged myself to get all eight glasses in. Again, this probably seems easy-peasy for most folks, but it's one of those things I haven't been able to make a habit of. Coffee just always seems like a better idea. There's no time like the present, right?

Calm and Relaxed

Well, hello again.

I'm on the upswing now, but there were a few weeks in there where I was eating my feelings. The end of a relationship, that was in many ways like trying to cram a square peg into a round hole, took it's toll more than I realized. As of late, I've been doing a lot of thinking about how I want to be healthier in general in every area -- emotional and physically. In relation to food, I'm hoping that this new sense of awareness will be the key I need to keep things under control. I'm not a big binge eater, or a jumbo portions person, but I will go straight for carby comfort foods and sugary treats when I'm looking for an emotional pick me up. I also realized I was sleeping WAY too much. I thought at first I was sick, but then realized later it's my easy escape from feeling anxious. If I get too anxious, then I get overwhelmed and just sort of shut down.

Realizing this pattern was not really good for me overall, I decided it was time to get a new therapist (and some better coping skills) and I love her, YAY! My previous therapist and I were together for 8 years and she recently moved to Austin. Even though I didn't see her often it gave me a sense of stability to know she was there if I needed her. I guess I sort of dreaded starting over again, but I got lucky and hit the jackpot. I'm hoping to get some of this stuff sorted out a bit more for the long haul. One thing that she's doing that's new to me is hypnosis. I'm not 100% convinced it's working yet, but I'm working on being a believer. I have a recording of the hypnosis/guided meditation we did last time I was in her office and I've been listening to it a few times a day and it does seem to be helping. I'm not sure if it's the dedicated time to just sit and be quiet and relax (but not sleep) or the actual words that are being suggested, but oh well, I kinda don't care -- I'm feeling better and that matters more. The gist of the mantra is "calm and relaxed" so I made myself a little poster to hang up in my office as a visual reminder.

Last night was my first trip to the gym since knee surgery. That felt good, too. I know that if I increase my activity, my energy and mood improves, so it's a definite step in the right direction. I didn't do anything crazy, just a little warm up (8 minutes) on the bike to get my knee loosened up, some free weights, leg presses and squats, then 15 minutes on the elliptical. It was a little uncomfortable since I've been essentially inactive all summer. Nothing I can't tolerate though. Next Wednesday is my first trainer appointment. Way back when I met with Gretchen once to do a fitness test (which is when I probably injured it -- not her fault, just dumb luck) so I'm looking forward to seeing her again. I've already paid for three hour sessions and I really need accountability to stay on track until I make habits. 

One decision I have made is to cut way back on carbs, specifically wheat. God do I love anything with wheat in it, but boy does it make me bloaty and miserable. Soft pretzels might as well just go ahead and be crack. This weekend I'm going to take advantage of the long holiday and do some planning. The kiddo is coming home from college and we'll be spending the day at Carlyle Lake, but other than that I have zero big plans. I'm kinda excited about that, actually. Gym, garden, and some freezer cooking. 

Enjoy the holiday!

Accountable

Well, it's been a wacky few days, I got hit hard by carb cravings, but I'm committed to writing down the good, the bad, and the ugly. I figure even if it doesn't stop me from indulging every time, knowing I'm going to write it down does deter me from total pandemonium most days. I haven't gotten brave enough to publish my food diary from MyFitnessPal just yet, but I'm working on it.

I seem to derail mid-afternoon and I suspect boredom is the culprit not real hunger since I'm a later luncher. Something about 3:30 just makes me hungry. Maybe I should try taking a short walk instead of stuffing my face with snacks. I'm still making some teeny victories along the way, making better choices over all even on the "bad days." Monday, I got half way to the vending machine when I turned around and marched to my bag full of veggies instead. Veggies and hummus is way yummier than anything in the vending machine. I also find that I like crunchy foods. It almost doesn't even matter what it is, as long as there is some crunch to it. Crunchy or sweet. Yep, that pretty much describes my two favorite food groups!

Here are two of my favorite snacks:

Snack veg. Usually there's hummus, not Ranch.

At least 3 days a week this is my breakfast and often an afternoon snack.

What do you love to snack on?

It Happened...

So it happened. I turned 40.

It was so much fun! For my birthday, instead of a somber event I decided to combine my graduation party and birthday party for one big silly bash with a Grumpy Cat theme. Grumpy Cat is so much better than an over-the-hill theme. Ptooey on that.

The invitation

Me practicing being grumpy for the "photo booth".

The photo booth was a huge success in that lots of people took photos with grumpy cat, but the construction was seriously lacking. I forgot about wind. Oh the elements, you are a harsh mistress! Oh well, fun was had! 

The super awesome cake thanks to my buddy, Sira.

People, a Grumpy Cat Cake? Come on, so awesome. Ask and you shall receive.

Some of not very grumpy friends.
This is what you get when you meet people on the internet.
Reddit, specifically. Aren't they adorbs?

That last photo represented the Reddit section of my party. Those yahoos are all about ten years younger than me and mostly don't make fun of my age too much. They are still fairly new to me and already adored.

This is my friend Diane. She's really sick, like the kind I don't want to talk about and she took time to come to my party. Keep your fingers, eyes, and toes crossed that she's feeling better soon. Her lungs are being jerks and I love her so much. She is an amazing person who deserves to have every one of the days she has left pain-free and full of joy.


So basically, my day was super awesome. I think people had fun and I know I did. There were presents (I got a coloring book of unicorns and lots of other cool stuff), cake, snacks galore, and lots of laughter. I couldn't have asked for anything better. Thanks to every one of you who came to celebrate with me.

XOXO

Hobble Holly - Part II

Gimp report: things are improving. Lots of physical therapy and good improvement. I'm sick of being broken though and would like to be able to return to my "nomal" activities with ease.

This is the knee squish. There's a pillow under my knee and I have to squish it with force 20 times.

I'm going to attempt to minimize the whining, because, of course, it could be worse and some people don't have the luxury of being able to go to PT. I still reserve the right to hate it though.

Pain meds. Hoping to make these a thing of the past soon.

In more joyful news, this hummus is pretty rad. I have a confession, I'm an addict. I eat three or four containers of hummus every week. I love it. Anyhoots,this can of stuff isn't bad in a pinch, at all. It's got a really nice creamy texture, perfect for dipping veggies.

I've been pretty good about counting calories lately and logging them on MyFitnessPal. Only a couple days have been over the maximum allotment of calories, so not too bad after all! YAY! I'm down a couple more pounds and wearing my "skinny" pants and not dying. 

Tomorrow is my gradubirfday party. I turned 40 on the 10th and we're celebrating my recent graduation from grad school and my 40th. It's a bit of a big deal birhtday. I'm excited! More later, taters.

Let's Get Physical (Therapy)

I started Physical Therapy and it's kicking my ass. I can't believe a few tiny exercises are so exhausting! Even though the doc says I can do the elliptical, my physical therapist says only for five minutes and suggested waiting anyway. Based on how hard it's been, I'm going to heed her advice. My physical therapist's name is Allison and she's a cute little thing and has already warned me that she's a bit of a task master in a nice way. Bring it on, kid!

The last exercise is my favorite. It is a really great hamstring stretch and I can actually walk less like the Hunchback of Notre Dame for a few minutes after I do it!

In other news, eating has been going well this week. I feel like I've really gotten into the groove of things. I'm just doing old fashioned calorie counting with MyFitnessPal (southcitystudio if you want to be my pal!) and I can already tell a difference in how I feel and I'm less bloaty for sure. One thing I am doing differently though is changing my breakfast. The last couple days I have been eating a whole wheat muffin with turkey sausage and egg. It's been a much more filling choice than my usual Greek yogurt and almonds and is a fewer calories. Egg sandwich = 300 calories, Greek yogurt/almonds = 380.

Lastly, the new foster babies are being adorable like usual and I feel it's important to share their cuteness with the universe. Meet baby Ellie (8 weeks) and Reilly (10 weeks). Two little adorable fluffy princesses. Ellie is the sweetest little snuggle bug and Reilly is too, but ornery like her big sister Fifi. She's been running laps around the house day and night. Both are available for adoption through Tenth Life Cats www.tenthlifecats.org.

Ellie, she was telling me a really juicy story.

Reilly is a funny and sweet brown tabby with white socks.

Hobble Holly

I don't seem to be very good at not getting injured. As soon as I got some steam going for getting in shape again, I blew out my knee. :(

It started with a fitness test with the trainer I hired. My doc suspected I tore my meniscus doing a wall squat. (not her fault, just crummy luck) That's the squishy stuff that sits between your knee joint. I felt something burn, but I figured I was just being a wuss and I probably needed to walk it off or stretch more, or something. So, that weekend I still felt hurty, but I had hiking trip at Taum Sauk mountain planned with my friend and I didn't want to miss it being a sissy. Let's just say by the end of the hike (4,000 ft down, then back up 4,000 ft) I pretty much wanted to die. Again, I figured I was just being overweight and out of shape and told myself to buck up.

By the following Monday, Memorial Day, I couldn't walk at all and spent the afternoon in the ER. If I can't get from my bed to the potty to pee, I will finally surrender.

The Devil a.k.a the leg immobilizer. Don't let all that velcro fool you, that
sumbitch won't stay up where it should more than ten minutes at a time.

This saga ends with me having surgery to remove a cyst, torn meniscus, spurs, and arthritis in my right knee.

This sexy outfit was free of charge at the surgical center.
My photos aren't cooperating today, but trust me, it doesn't improve if you flip it right side up. 

Surgery was last Wednesday and I'm coming along pretty well. There was a full 7 days of captivity on my couch/bed. I'm back to work today and finally off the heavy-duty pain meds. I can put together coherent thoughts again.  I am on crutches, but only one most of the time. The past 36 hours have seen great improvement. YAY!

My follow up with the doctor is next Monday and I'll find out how soon I can start going to the gym again and if I'm going to need physical therapy and whatnot. The anticipated healing time is 6-8 weeks and I'm hoping I can shave a couple weeks off that. A girl has things she wants to do! :)

Later taters.

Hello, again. Looking Ahead.

I won't waste time with excuses for why I've been absent, that just frustrates me, frankly I'm sick of listening to myself make excuses, and besides is probably nothing you haven't heard before -- busy, work, school, blah, blah. Well, my school excuse has officially run out, I graduate on Friday! *happy dance*

Tonight was day #1 back at the gym and it felt good. I spent 30 minutes on the elliptical and burned about 475 calories. Which makes up for the crummy snacks I had earlier in the day, or mostly anyway. The gym felt like a big victory in a lot of ways, it's been that thing I'm not doing that I know I need to do sort of looming in the background. I'll admit peer pressure is playing a role in my motivation, I seem to be surrounded by health nuts at the moment. However, I must say, it's definitely a positive and encouraging vibe. On Thursday I meet with a trainer and will put together an plan for gym time. I am thinking also that I'll rotate in some belly dancing classes again and yoga. I know I like both of those things and hopefully that will help battle the boredom.

I'm formulating an action plan. That's right where I'm at. Also, it's good to be back. :)

Curry in a Hurry

Yesterday, Parker and I had a healthy cooking day and whipped up a few things to start stocking out freezers with healthy quick foods. We pinned recipes all week, then picked out three to make. We settled on three hearty vegetable crammed recipes: turkey chili, sweet potato and turnip curry stew, and cabbage and chicken sausage stew. Once we decided what we wanted we made a list and headed to the Farmer's Market for supplies, then hit Aldi for the remaining items. We spent a total of $30 and ended up making about 36 cups worth of lunch stew and chili plus a nice vinegar slaw to use for a side dish. Nice! Less than $1/serving for preservative and chemical free delicious noms. We ended up adding brown rice to both stews and some cream cheese to the curry to thicken it and ease the heat (I may have been overly generous with the curry paste, oops!). Our little cooking adventure was really motivating and I'm excited to have some fast food that's good for me and my wallet! I'm also eating curry for lunch today and I might actually be breaking a sweat...that's good for my metabolism, right?

Hey, It's Thursday!

Honestly, there's nothing special about Thursday in particular, I'm just glad after 10 days of vacation to have a short work week. If today is Thursday, that means tomorrow is Friday and I'm closer to another two days off work. WAHOO! I get excited about being the mistress of my time. If only I could find a way to get paid to pursue my hobbies. Le sigh.

The past couple days have been pretty good. Last night, a couple hours after dinner, I was getting sort of hungry for nothing in particular (read: bored) so I went and burrowed under my covers with a circus of animals and went to bed. It was kind of nice actually, especially since I'm always freezing (thank you crappy thyroid) and I suppose it's no surprise that I'm pretty well-rested today. I'm not sure sleeping is a good long-term plan for dealing with boredom hunger, but it got me over the hump. Besides, those kitties needed some attention!

This kitty needed a scritch right under the cheek. See!

Today has been good so far. I had blueberry Greek yogurt, cashews, and coffee for breakfast. String cheese for a snack. Lunch was a burrito bowl (seasoned chicken, pinto beans, grilled veg, sriacha sauce, tomatoes, etc.) , an apple, and then some dried apples because they tasted so good. My big challenge for the week is to drink a bottle (25 ounces) every 2 hours. I read somewhere that you should drink about half your weight in ounces (if you weigh 100 lbs, then 50 oz). I never drink enough water. It's going fine, but I'm not loving having to pee all the time. Oh well, small price to pay for good health. 

Tonight I'll have something quick and easy (I still have 800+ calories left) and then I'm off to do some homeless outreach. It's going to be 18 degrees by morning. BRRR! 

Have a lovely day!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everybody!

I am planning for the New Year to be one of success and achieving goals. My thinking got a little screwy for a while and I was able to mostly maintain without any big gains, but it's time to unkink my kinks and get back on the wagon for good. There's no time like the present and I'm going to focus on moving forward instead of punishing myself for every time I swore off unhealthy eating and fell short of my goals. It's a process and I feel ready again.

I've got a buddy system set up with my pal, Parker who is going to lose 50 with me. I'm excited to have someone to support me and someone to support in this crazy process. Yesterday we took "before" pics so that we have something to compare to. Accountability is so, so, good. I think that's what was lacking before and how I got off track. Part of the reason, anyway.

My current short-term goal is to lose 5 by Feb and focus on crowding out the "bad" with "good". First step, eliminate the white stuff. Heavily processed sugary treats, potatoes, and bread. I've been letting those creep, then flood my diet and I can feel the icky bloat that is the result. I'm going to focus on making better, lower-carb and lower-sugar choices because it feels good to be good.

Return the Fraggle Rock's Red crazy cheering in my head for each teeny victory. Didn't eat the crap in the break room - Yayayayayayya! Dancing Fraggle explosion! Ate fruit instead of cookies - YAYAYY!!!

Over my vacation I watched Hungry for Change. In that film they talked about the importance of visualization. I need to dig up a photo of me from when I felt confident and happy with my body to post in my room as a reminder that I was there before and I can be again.

I'm excited to have a partner on the journey to being fit. It really boosts my motivation to know I'm not alone. I've also got a couple friends who are running Facebook groups for fitness and diet that are a nice addition to the support network.

On a totally unrelated topic... I've gotten involved in a group here locally that does homeless outreach in the winter (days where the temp is expected to dip below 20 degress) and it's been such a gratifying process to get to know these folks who are on the streets and being able to be a part of something that provides a little assistance and a little comfort to the suffering. It's made me really grateful to have a home to go to at the end of the day and especially grateful for the support of friends and family. It's a wonderful, humbling, experience to do outreach. If you are looking for volunteer opportunities, I can't recommend something like this enough. It's good for the soul!

In more unrelated news, I've decided to adopt my foster kitten, Fiona. This little stinker was in bad shape when I got her at four weeks old, nearly died, and spent a couple days in the hospital. She's 100% better and has totally stolen my heart. So cute and so much fun.

What's new in your neck of the woods?

Happy Holidays!

I fell of the wagon and can't seem to get back up. I have put on 3 lbs in the past couple months, mostly due to my copious consumption of holiday baked goods. BOO. I am going to spend some time planning for success in the new year over the coming days. In the mean time, Happy Holidays everybody!

Crockpot <3

In an effort to make sure all my meals are good ones this week, I busted my butt in the kitchen. I made black beans; white beans; pumpkin muffins; brown rice; chicken soup with veg, beans, and rice; steel cut oats with apples and raisins; cherry Jello; and last but not least a big ole turkey breast.

This spice mix made delicious and super hot meatballs.

The animals were  very happy when the turkey was done.

Soup in progress.

Finished soup!

70 degrees in November!

Mackie the Wonder Dog and I went for a stroll. I can tell we haven't been exercising, there was some effort being heaved out on our hilly walk! Thanks to Girls on the Run for the inspirational sidewalk chalk messages. :)

Fiberlicious

Tomorrow there will be delicious things crafted with beans. Magically delicious beans. I'm thinking cumin, curry, onion... Maybe something a little Indian in celebration of Diwali.

The Office of Good Deeds

I run this project called The Office of Good Deeds - St. Louis and today we got together for the semi-annual Charity Stitch event and made hats, booties, and tiny things for the babies at Nurses for Newborns a local nonprofit that provides assistance to families in need. It's a really feel good kind of day. My pal Autumn owns a cool shop on South Grand called The Upcycle Exchange and she was kind enough to host us today. Smooches to Autumn.

50+ hats, 3 sweaters, 2 sets of booties, and 2 washcloths!

Food report: Today was pretty much a fail. Potluck proved to be tricky. I didn't eat as much as I wanted to, but I'm feeling like a bit of a bottomless pit, so I'm not sure that's saying much. Better luck tomorrow.

UPDATE: The Office of Good Deeds now has a blog! www.gooddeedsstl.org

Mimi

Mimi has nothing to do with dieting at all, she's my new foster kitty. I am smitten with this kitten! Mimi a little one-eyed love bug.

Food today was erratic. I need to figure out a way to plan for on-the-go days. I had a breakfast sandwich and hashbrowns from a fast food joint for breakfast then nothing for hours and hours. I went to a party and ate some snacky crap and cake since I was starved. Then afterwards I finally fed myself some soup. Even though the food was pretty poor quality, the calories were probably not outrageous. It definitely could have been worse. Tomorrow is going to be another goofy day. Hmmm. Maybe I need to figure out one day a week to do meal planning or something. 

Anyway, daily victories - I actually ate way less than I wanted to at the party. I excercised some restraint and didn't go for seconds on cake.  Last night, same thing. I went to an art opening and there was lots of crappy food. I told the cookies no and walked away from them. Not an easy feat for a girl with a big ole sweet tooth. 

My eyes want to close. Hugs and smooches to you all. What's new in your world?