see what's become of me...
Okay, so I enjoy both the Bangles and Simon and Garfunkel. Although it is not "a hazy shade of winter" yet, it is officially fall. Living in Texas, fall had become my favorite season over the years. The summers are so hot and cooler weather is such a relief. Fall means spending free time after dark on the patio with a fire in the pit, watching for falling stars. It means football games, pumpkins, capri pants, light jackets, s'mores, and days getting shorter. We enjoy camping and fishing, and fall means it is time to sort the gear and check for any free weekends. Cooler weather also welcomes warmer food choices, so it's time to plan making my favorite soups, stews, and of course, chili.
I know school starts before fall officially gets here, but school starting means the schedule gets busier and busier, and time gets shorter and shorter. Recently, it occurred to me that I was simply getting by, planning a few days at a time. I want to be free-er on the weekends to enjoy more play time with the family. I have always been a list maker, but I never feel like I ever get to the projects I'd like to finish. When it actually does start getting cooler here, and the air conditioner isn't having to work so hard to cool the house, I'd like to be in a position to get some of those projects done.
I remember recently that I used to have a menu system for planning several weeks of menus at a time.
I decided to revive the system, and updated it with recipes and grocery lists, with budget and diet in mind. I also created a few new forms to help me keep up with my cleaning chores, my children's chores, and our food inventory. I am pretty sure my beautiful daughters are not going to do their chores without some reminding, but at least they know what is expected every day when I explode over it not being done. I, on the other hand, needed a plan to get the entire house clean at least once a week, and plan, cook, and prepare at least two meals a day.
Sunday night, I print a copy of the week's menu and grocery list. The menu goes to the side of the refrigerator, and I change items as needed to use up foods on hand. I order a basket of fruits and vegetables from a co-op regularly, and I never know what produce we will get until I pick it up on Saturdays. After I alter the menu, I cross off items I don't need to buy at the grocery store, and I add items that we need or ran out of during the last week. Monday is Errand Day and Food Prep Day. I buy the groceries, put them away, precook anything that can be made ahead of time and reheated, and prep foods to assemble for dinners over the week. It really makes fixing school lunches and dinner so much quicker the rest of the week.
Because Monday is Errand and Food Prep Day, I don't have as much house cleaning to do that day. Everyday of the week, there is a load of laundry to do, dusting some area, sweeping or vacuuming, and cleaning one of the bathrooms. The rest of the cleaning chores are divided up over Monday through Friday. The only chore on the weekend is giving the dog a bath. I can handle 3 or 4 things to clean a day. That gives me time to work in exercise and time to work on some projects.
So, today was the first day of my new plan. I bought the groceries, and precooked and prepared food for the rest of the week. I cleaned the kitchen, unloaded and loaded the dishwasher, did a load of laundry, and straightened up from the weekend destruction. I really hope it works like I want it to work. I hope it frees up some time for me. It freed me up to write this.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Here We Go Again...
School started this week. I was ready. The kids were ready. I could tell they were ready when they started talking to all of their friends-all day-the two weeks before school started. I could I was ready when they started driving me crazy talking to their friends all day. Ah, the circle of summer life. I remember in June, I was counting down the hours until school ended. I love not having to set an alarm clock, so the end of school is always a welcome relief. But, I can't wait for school to start by the middle of August, and I'm even willing to live by the alarm clock, and take the girls to all their after-school activities, just to get a little peace and quiet for the day.
Every year when school starts, my thoughts go to the same place. I need to exercise and lose weight. Every year I say it, but once every 3-5 year, I really mean it, and this is that year. I spent the past two weeks, researching and listing everything I needed to do to get ready. I planned the foods to choose from, the calories and fat I can consume, how I'm going to adjust my family to it, and how I'm going to hold myself accountable every day. I cleaned out the refrigerator and the pantry, getting rid of all the bad stuff! I found a website that is pretty user friendly, and I think it is going to make it easy for me to track my food and exercise. I created an account on sparkpeople.com. I have tracked my food this week, and I am feeling good about myself so far. The hardest part for me is always beginning, and it seems to be moving along this year. Spark People also has a separate website with recipes, and some of them sound really tasty in spite of being healthy. I can feel the difference already, and I the scale shows me weighing a little less, too.
I have my first obstacle!! Labor Day weekend starts tomorrow. The twins are having a belated Birthday/Back to School Swim Party on Saturday and they want pizza, chips, soda, and candy. I can live without eating pizza and chips and candy, that;s really is not my thing. I do, however, have to come up with tasty Holiday foods that will please all of us all weekend. I have a feeling that I will go ahead and fix the traditional stuff, like burgers and brats, but substitute with whole grain buns and healthier sides, like cauliflower mac and cheese. It just requires me to work harder to make it fun and tasty.
I am determined though. I know I have a few of years, but I am not going to turn 50 and be "obese" on the charts. My goal is 24 pounds lighter by Thanksgiving. I know I can do, I've done it before, more than once. My ultimate weight loss goal is higher, but I think this is doable.
All that being said, losing body weight is only one of my weight loss plans. I am cleaning out cabinets and closets, and the garage, when it cools off. I am cleaning out the things I save because they could eventually become useful. I am grouping alike stuff together and finding a place it belongs. I've always done this, but sometimes thing relocate themselves, and they need help finding their way back home. Then, I'm turning my attention to home improvement projects. We've lived here for a year and a half, and I've only managed to paint the girls' bedrooms. I have a long list of stuff that needs to be done around here, and this is the year for that ,too.
I've made my lists. I'm made up my mind it is going to happen. I've told other people, and now you, so they will know about it. I am a woman with a mission. With any luck, I'll be consumed with watching the Rangers in the World Series again this year!!
Every year when school starts, my thoughts go to the same place. I need to exercise and lose weight. Every year I say it, but once every 3-5 year, I really mean it, and this is that year. I spent the past two weeks, researching and listing everything I needed to do to get ready. I planned the foods to choose from, the calories and fat I can consume, how I'm going to adjust my family to it, and how I'm going to hold myself accountable every day. I cleaned out the refrigerator and the pantry, getting rid of all the bad stuff! I found a website that is pretty user friendly, and I think it is going to make it easy for me to track my food and exercise. I created an account on sparkpeople.com. I have tracked my food this week, and I am feeling good about myself so far. The hardest part for me is always beginning, and it seems to be moving along this year. Spark People also has a separate website with recipes, and some of them sound really tasty in spite of being healthy. I can feel the difference already, and I the scale shows me weighing a little less, too.
I have my first obstacle!! Labor Day weekend starts tomorrow. The twins are having a belated Birthday/Back to School Swim Party on Saturday and they want pizza, chips, soda, and candy. I can live without eating pizza and chips and candy, that;s really is not my thing. I do, however, have to come up with tasty Holiday foods that will please all of us all weekend. I have a feeling that I will go ahead and fix the traditional stuff, like burgers and brats, but substitute with whole grain buns and healthier sides, like cauliflower mac and cheese. It just requires me to work harder to make it fun and tasty.
I am determined though. I know I have a few of years, but I am not going to turn 50 and be "obese" on the charts. My goal is 24 pounds lighter by Thanksgiving. I know I can do, I've done it before, more than once. My ultimate weight loss goal is higher, but I think this is doable.
All that being said, losing body weight is only one of my weight loss plans. I am cleaning out cabinets and closets, and the garage, when it cools off. I am cleaning out the things I save because they could eventually become useful. I am grouping alike stuff together and finding a place it belongs. I've always done this, but sometimes thing relocate themselves, and they need help finding their way back home. Then, I'm turning my attention to home improvement projects. We've lived here for a year and a half, and I've only managed to paint the girls' bedrooms. I have a long list of stuff that needs to be done around here, and this is the year for that ,too.
I've made my lists. I'm made up my mind it is going to happen. I've told other people, and now you, so they will know about it. I am a woman with a mission. With any luck, I'll be consumed with watching the Rangers in the World Series again this year!!
Friday, January 6, 2012
I guess the sky is falling
So, there are only 351 days until everyone stops talking about the Mayan Calendar, and that reference to the end of the world. I believe no man knows the day or hour of the end of the world, so I can't trust that it will be on December 21, 2012. I do, however, feel like we should live each day to it's fullest, and never put off joy or family fun. My oldest daughter will turn 22 this year. My baby girls will turn 13, which means I will officially have teenagers, AGAIN! My days with my children are always numbered, and I plan to enjoy them as much as I can this year. But as you all know, I do that every year.
I will be turning 30-17 this year, which means I am living my 26th bonus year of life. I never thought I'd make it past 21. I figured an "end of the world" year is as good as any to do some bucket list stuff. I think this might be the year that I actually jump out of a perfectly fine airplane. The biggest event, so far, for me this year will be running the Cowtown Marathon, well the 5K, but that's a lot for me. I am not a runner. I needed a motivator to get into shape and lose weight, and it seemed reasonable. My husband, my oldest daughter, and one of the twins will be running the 5K, too. We've never participated in an event together where we all showed up and finished. I will begin trotting next week, and hopefully I will be jogging soon. The 5k will take place the end of February, so I should have enough time to get ready. I would like to lose 35 pounds, and maybe more. If I eat better, and exercise daily, I think I can achieve my goal in just a few months. Another thing I would like to do this summer is spend a week on the beach. I would like to do that without looking like a whale.
We will be having a Family Meeting this weekend to plan mini-trips, camps, vacations, camping trips, and other activities. I will also begin researching and planning meals that will enable us all to become more fit. I am looking forward to getting together with the family and planning our year. We haven't done that in a while, and I have high hopes that this year will be good, slimming, energetic, and memorable.
I hope you are having a great New Year, and that you take extra time to do something you would normally do, something out of your comfort zone, something that benefits you long after you do it, and you look back on it with pride.
I will be turning 30-17 this year, which means I am living my 26th bonus year of life. I never thought I'd make it past 21. I figured an "end of the world" year is as good as any to do some bucket list stuff. I think this might be the year that I actually jump out of a perfectly fine airplane. The biggest event, so far, for me this year will be running the Cowtown Marathon, well the 5K, but that's a lot for me. I am not a runner. I needed a motivator to get into shape and lose weight, and it seemed reasonable. My husband, my oldest daughter, and one of the twins will be running the 5K, too. We've never participated in an event together where we all showed up and finished. I will begin trotting next week, and hopefully I will be jogging soon. The 5k will take place the end of February, so I should have enough time to get ready. I would like to lose 35 pounds, and maybe more. If I eat better, and exercise daily, I think I can achieve my goal in just a few months. Another thing I would like to do this summer is spend a week on the beach. I would like to do that without looking like a whale.
We will be having a Family Meeting this weekend to plan mini-trips, camps, vacations, camping trips, and other activities. I will also begin researching and planning meals that will enable us all to become more fit. I am looking forward to getting together with the family and planning our year. We haven't done that in a while, and I have high hopes that this year will be good, slimming, energetic, and memorable.
I hope you are having a great New Year, and that you take extra time to do something you would normally do, something out of your comfort zone, something that benefits you long after you do it, and you look back on it with pride.
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