by Tish MacWebber | Mar 19, 2018 | Weekend Warrior
In this week’s Weekend Warrior, an am happy to report that I had A Productive Weekend for a Change. I have done some cleaning, hosted a craft night, and went out to see a movie. I wanted to get a lot more accomplished than I actually did, but that is okay. Tomorrow is a new day!
Friday night was spent at home, starting the cleaning for Saturday. I experimented with Kalimotxo (cal-ee-mo-cho). It is popular in Spain, and Uruguay, according to the video my friend sent me to check it out. I tried 2 different wines, with Coke and Pepsi. My final verdict was if the wine tastes “sour” the Coke evens it out. The Italian Bardolino Doc is better with Coke. The dry wine from Romania Castel Bolovanu was a stronger flavoured wine, so I would recommend a dry wine with Pepsi, as the flavours seem to mix better, to me, even if the flavours seem to be fighting. I did not like the dry wine with Coke at all.
For the record, I tried 4 different combinations, but I only actually finished one glass of wine. I wasn’t in the mood for having a lot of wine Friday night. Maybe a total of 2 glasses if you combine it all. It was an experiment, to see if it was something that I liked. It was okay, but
Saturday was busy. Cleaning all day, in the living room and the kitchen. It took a while. I am happy to say that I even had time to sweep the floors. Then it was time to get ready for the craft night.
We were going to go through magazines and create vision boards. One friend was making a bucket book. It was nice to sit around the kitchen table, have snacks, and sip on a glass of wine. We caught up and talked about things. We worked on gathering art and words for our projects.
I had made a trip to the Dollarama for supplies. I got some different tapes, decorations, and papers. I had to buy a sketchbook for my project. I never got far enough to start any pages, but I had a successful gathering of things to put into it. I don’t have kids, but sometimes I like to do something nice for my friends. I had seen owl tote bags there, and they were $4 each. I bought 4 for us all to keep our supplies in. They were a hit! I kept the purple owl, and one of our friends didn’t make it, but I am holding hers here for her next visit. Now that I have done this, I am looking forward tot he next time.
Here are the bags I bought:
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Rebecca’s Owl Tote Bag for Craft night
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Tish’s Owl Tote Bag for Craft night
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Becca’s Owl Tote Bag for Craft night
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Kathy’sOwl Tote bag for Craft night
Sunday was busy with writing, and we went to see a movie. We went out to watch Annihilation with Natalie Portman. I have never personally experimented with drugs. That movie was a scientific trip if I was ever going to take one. I can’t say it was horrible, but it was kind of messed up. Now, for some unexplainable reason, I have the munchies…yup. I am having the side effects of being stoned after watching a movie sober. If that was what they were going for…mission accomplished. There were not enough Hazmat suits on the actors. I think the audience needed them also. It was an out of body scientific trip of a movie. I am settling for a glass of orange juice and some cheese. Then I am calling it a day.
What did you do this weekend? It was a total win for me!
#WeekendWarrior
by Tish MacWebber | Mar 18, 2018 | Trust Your Gut
In Trust Your Gut this week, I’m writing because Something Has Changed! The Shrinker is working! The Shrinker must be working! I am not talking about the scale and the pounds here. I am talking about my metabolism. I feel real hunger again. It can mean different things. My activity level has not increased dramatically. I have started drinking the Shrinker to boost my metabolism. I am choosing to believe that it is what is happening. The only other option is that I am not eating enough. I can’t say I am totally convinced one way or the other on this. I do eat 3 meals a day. I have snacks. I don’t think that is the answer. Which leaves the possibility of the combination of foods I am eating as wrong. I am open to that also.
*Note* My apologies for being so late with this blog post this week. I was having a hard time collecting my thoughts, but I figured it out!
I’ve been eating fewer carbs and more protein. I cannot eliminate carbs completely. I start losing control of my hunger and my sugars when I do that. That is something that makes THM different from protein-based diets like Atkins. I need the balance. I learned today that Keto may be similar to THM. I might look further into that.
I plan some prep cooking on Sunday. It is the best way for me to stay on the plan. It is hard work to live a healthier lifestyle, and that is why it is hard to keep myself motivated. All I can do is my best when I feel up to it, and the rest will fall into place.
Now I am asking myself, what step should be next in my journey? THM experts say to start with one thing, and when you master that one thing, build upon it. I am having such success with the Shrinker, it is time I got serious about my beverages. I am not giving up wine. I am having WAY too much fun learning about different wines, and searching for “the one.” I drink my coffee black, and I also have a lot of fun reviewing the coffees that I try. I am going to go back to the THM basics for this one. I am talking about Good Girl Moonshine, aka GGMS.
With the Shrinker, the oolong tea, cinnamon and cayenne pepper are working together to increase my metabolism. Since I seem to be hungrier more frequently, I can assume that the fuel I am putting into my body is being burned up more quickly. That is what I am hoping is happening. The GGMS has a different recipe, and therefore a different method to how it works.
GGMS in its basic recipe, is water ginger, apple cider vinegar, and optional sweetener of choice. I use Swerve. It is Erythritol, and it does not leave an aftertaste in your mouth. It does leave a cooling sensation, which is different, but not unpleasant. I notice it more when I bake with it, rather than when I put it into my beverages.
People use a variety of different additions to the basic GGMS recipe, to make it their own. My own personal favourite is the Black Cherry Berry Celestial Seasonings tea. I add 4 tea bags to every batch, which is about 1 tea bag for every 500ML of GGMS. That was all I needed to make this beverage tasty.
Apple cider vinegar can have an effect on your teeth. It can weaken your enamel. I have talked to my dentist about it, and as long as I am using a straw, which THM recommends as well as a glass drinking container. It is also important to have water after, to make sure your mouth is rinsed out. You can brush your teeth after rinsing with water if you are really concerned about the enamel on your teeth. I don’t always brush, but I do rinse with water (which most of us do not drink enough of anyway) and because it is supposed to be helpful to losing weight, I don’t spit it out, I drink the water. I am just adding to the benefits this way.
You can find the Shrinker and the GGMS recipes on the Trim Healthy Mama Website, under the Recipes page. Check it out! I can honestly say that I know I feel better, and I start the scale going in the right direction when I am following the plan. If you are more curious, I recommend their books as well. They have several out now, and that includes recipe books. One thing I have yet to try in my healthier lifestyle is to make a recipe that includes okra. That is something I plan to figure out when I get a chance. Trying new foods is an adventure, and I love spaghetti squash, so I’m up for trying new foods on occasion. Sometimes I am surprised, and I like them. Do you eat okra? Do you have any tips for me? Leave a comment below, and it may help me get over the nerves of trying a new food.
#TrustYourGut
by Tish MacWebber | Mar 14, 2018 | Treasure Seeker Tuesdays
In Treasure Seeker Tuesday this week, it is time to tell a story. Once upon a time, more than a few years ago, I was chasing another dream. A local craft store had decided to close. I talked to the owners, I made a business plan, I presented it to a committee, and it was rejected. It was rather deflating. The dreams were dashed, and I put it away. It is hard to put yourself out there for a dream to have it crushed. Really hard.
Inexperience was probably the biggest factor in the rejection. I did not know how to make a business plan. I didn’t have any money of my own to use as an investment. From that rejection, I then tried to create my own jewellery business, which I have yet to officially launch here, on the website. It used to be known as Tish’s Treasures, which was launched years ago at the local Farmer’s Market. I gave it a good try, for 2 years, but there were restrictions. There I was, a brand new entrepreneur, chasing my dreams of turning my hobby into a sustainable source of income; stuck following someone else’s rules. I was allowed to sell beaded ornaments and suncatchers, but not my jewellery. That venture was doomed before it even started.
Tish’s Treasures turned back into a hobby, one that made appearances with me as a vendor in different craft shows. I did sell a piece or two, here and there, but it never really took off. It wasn’t until this past January, when I pulled my product out of a local store, that I realized that the old business, under the old name, was holding me back.
I haven’t launched any of my product here yet, officially. I have shared my new business name, Tish MacWebber, Always Blinging…
I have yet to take pictures to post products for sale on this website. I have dreams and plans, but they are larger than life. My imagination knows no boundaries.
Writing books and being a jewellery designer is something that works in my mind. I don’t know if I am going to be able to make it work in the real world. As I started writing this, I realized what is holding me back. I’m terrified of failure. Literally terrified.
I have followed my dreams before. Not with as much conviction as I have had this time, but I have tried before. I do not like being told no, and I certainly do not like to be proven to be wrong. I can admit when I am wrong and apologize. But how do you apologize to your toughest critic, yourself?
I have grown a lot since I wrote my first business plan. One of my peers is encouraging me to use her template to write my own business plan. I have been avoiding it like the plague. You guessed right, I am scared to try.
Which sounds ridiculous when you think about it. I have spent very little money on my adventure this far, and I am not ready to give up. Not by a longshot. Despite this very thing, I am avoiding writing my books right now. I am scared of not being able to finish them. Yeah, I know, stopping is the fastest way to never finishing them. I have bailed on a lot of projects in my life. This dream is not going to be one of them.
You might think I have things all together on this side of the computer. Nope. I am not an organized planner at all, even though I have two 2018 agendas that match and are waiting to be used. I bought two sizes so that one could be portable if I needed it, and the other would be my main desk planner. One does help me to keep track of appointments and my husband’s work schedule. They are not being used to their full potential.
Neither am I. While I am Always Thinking…
I am not always doing. Therein lies one of my problems. I am not taking action. I am keeping up with the Blog, but it has been a lacklustre effort of late, and I am changing that right now. I am writing something meaningful again, not just writing for the sake of the commitment to the schedule I set up for myself.
I am at a crossroads while I write this. I have two choices. I can say to heck with it and walk away. That would be the easy option. It would lead me back to a life of putting up and shutting up. Taking whatever comes at me, and losing myself in circumstances. Woe is me, the universe is out to get me, and I am helpless to do anything about it. That really is what my life was like before I started putting myself out there and trying to find my purpose and passion. There is the teeniest, tiniest spark left inside of me. That flame needs to be fanned, and nurtured, and fed to grow. It is the part of me that makes me shake my head when I am writing about giving up. It is the part of me that fuels my passion, and I have to let it flourish. To let this spark go out is to let the creative dreamer inside of me die of boredom, frustration, and hopelessness. That is not something I am willing to do, no matter how scared I am of putting my work and myself out into the world again. A failure is only a true failure if you let it beat you. If you pick yourself up and shake the negativity off, to try something different, change your perspective and attack it from a different angle, you win at life. I want to win at life. I need to follow my dreams. I haven’t felt this good about one of my blog posts in a while, so I am taking that as a good sign, and that I am on my way out of whatever was dragging me down.
I have to share one more experience here, with you. It was from before I even tried to open a craft store on my own, and failed. I was in need of legal advice. I met with a lawyer. I told him about my issues, and he advised that it was not the kind of thing that he could help me with. We had a conversation, and he listened to me talking about this crazy idea I had to open my own craft store. I had a floor plan and had talked to people about flooring and storage and the interior design. I wasn’t ready to present the business plan at that point, but it was clear to the lawyer that it was something that lit a fire inside of me, he could sense that I was passionate about this idea. I had other friends at the time see the same thing, and they were excited for me and with me as I gave it my best shot. It didn’t work out.
The lawyer did two things that day that I will never forget. The first one was that he didn’t charge me a dime. How often do you ever hear people say that about a meeting with a lawyer? Not too many. The second thing was a little more insightful. He encouraged me to keep working on my dreams. He told me that he wasn’t sure that this was the right path for me at that time, but he was certain that I was going to be successful at something, he just didn’t know what, or when. Here I am trying something new, and pushing myself harder than I ever have before.
I might just surprise myself and do just what I set out to do this time. Write my books and design jewellery together, because that is how I want it to be. My passion, my dreams, and my rules.
This story may appear in part or in whole in my second book. I am calling it The Art Of Surprising Yourself, which I announced earlier on my social media platforms this week. This is just an example of something that you might find in my second book. What do you think?
#TreasureSeekerTuesday
by Tish MacWebber | Mar 13, 2018 | Makeup Monday
In this, the third Makeup Monday, I’ve got my eyes on the prize. I have been dabbling a little in make-up, and thinking about a new hairstyle. Oh, and now I have new glasses to work with. I am really liking them!
I tried to do my hair Saturday, and it did not cooperate. I want to try the beach hairstyle. If you google it, you will know what I mean. It was not meant to be. I might try one more time. But it didn’t happen this time. I made it work.
I am trying to learn a new eyeshadow and eye makeup technique. I have made a friend that sells Younique, and I have been watching her videos. I saw one that I want to share here so that you can see the look I am going for. Stacey gave me permission to link to her video here.
Stacey Killam’s Eyeshadow Palette video.
I am not using her makeup, but I wanted to try out the technique. After purging my makeup last year, I have 3 palettes with 4 colours in them. I have 2 eyes. I decided to wear the same palette on both eyes Saturday night, and today after work, I used the other two, one for each eye. As I am testing mascaras out, I used 3 different mascaras also.
Top: Maybelline Mocha Motion palette, L’Oreal Blackest Black Voluminous Butterfly Effectwaterproof mascara, with Marcelle Expresso Waterproof Eyeliner. Bottom: left Revlon Illuminance Wild Orchids Creme Shadow, Maybelline Lash Sensational Full Fan Effect Mascara, center worn on both eyes, essence Gel eye pencil waterproof gunmetal eyeliner, and on the right, Lancome Colour Design Sensational effects eyeshadow and essence Lash Princess False Lash effect mascara.
Saturday’s look was the full makeup, and the lipstick was actually applied after I grabbed the pics. Here is a collage of before and after.
I was happy with the look, although I don’t see the depth of colours after I blend the eyeshadows. It is the top makeup the picture above.
Today I just did the eyes. The left is the purples, and the right is the Sensational Effects Eyeshadow Palette.
2 Different eyes, 2 different looks.
What I learned is that I do not know how to make the ‘v’ or the ‘7’ properly yet. The essence mascara is sticky. The Loreal mascara from Saturday looks great, and although the brush is weird, it did an okay job.
I don’t know how to get the colours on properly, and the creme eyeshadows I applied with my fingers. Then I tried the blending brush, but I really don’t know if I was supposed to or if I should blend with my fingers, or not at all.
Makeup is fun. I will keep playing. I will do something different for next month.
#MakeupMonday
by Tish MacWebber | Mar 12, 2018 | Weekend Warrior
This week in Weekend Warrior #55 Chasing away the Winter Blues is what I am working on. Time went ahead an hour last night, and that means Spring is coming! I love seeing more hours of daylight, and I need spring to be sprung already! The winter blues got a really good hold on me this year. I am hoping that next winter will be different. Until then, I have to do my best to get out from under what is holding me back. My internal clock hasn’t had time to adjust yet, though. I suspect tomorrow is going to be the start of a long week.
Friday night I got my new glasses. I decided to reveal them in a Facebook Live video. You can watch it here: Tish’s March 9th Facebook Live Video. If you watch it, you will see that I built up a little suspense, and had fun. I also reviewed a different bottle of wine. It wasn’t a favourite. I review wine and coffee on my Facebook Live videos. I just started doing it for fun.
Saturday I slept in and started getting some prep work done for my Makeup Monday blog, which I will finish tomorrow after work. I have been planning it for a few weeks, and need to finish it up tomorrow after work. I had an invitation to a birthday party, and I decided I wanted to go. I got ready and made a treat to bring. I also brought cheese & crackers. I have some pics to share. It was a friend’s Birthday Party, with a Carribean theme. Let’s start with the food pics.
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Fresh Tropical Fruit including Starfruit.
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I made Chewy Turtle Brownies.
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Snacks all set up for the party.
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Cheerio the Cat wanted some pizza…or did he just want the boxes?
We had a nice time, just chatting, and having fun. It was nice to go hang out with friends.
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Happy Birthday Jessica!
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Sitting under the sun by the palm tree!
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Coconuts with a straw, it was delicious!
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This pic was immediately called Tish’s Coconuts. I said, “Let’s toast your birthday with the coconuts!” and this is what happened.
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Group pic
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Another group pic
Saturday was fun! Sunday was a quiet day at home. I cooked a ham in the oven with cherries, pineapple and cloves. Then I made Scalloped Potatoes. I do not understand why the locals here call them Potatoes Scallop. Regardless, there is no shellfish in the potatoes. I prepared them to cook while the ham was cooling. It took 2 hours to cook them, and I sliced them as thin as I could. Apparently, the potatoes never got the memo about the time change, either. When they were finally cooked, my husband assured me that it was worth the wait, he was impressed. We have leftovers to enjoy for lunch, and if there is enough ham for supper, I might make a potato salad to eat with it. White potatoes are not on the plan, but sometimes a compromise is called for. I had a salad for lunch. I am going for balance.
That, my friends, means I won all weekend long!
#WeekendWarrior
by Tish MacWebber | Mar 9, 2018 | Trust Your Gut
In this week’s Trust Your Gut; Push It Real Good, I am pushing myself. I am my own worst critic, and sometimes I am really hard on myself. When I fall off the wagon, it’s not usually a small thing. I don’t do anything the easy way, and I don’t tend to minimize things. When I get back on track, I tend to go all out. Until the next slip up.
I have been working harder to stay on the plan. The scale reflects it. FINALLY! I am happy to say that I am down 3 pounds. That is worth celebrating! A few changes do make a difference. I made it to Zumba twice, and I just finished about 30 minutes of shovelling heavy snow. There is another storm, and I am home first, so I get to shovel as much as I can before my husband comes home. I cleared the steps and walkway and made a path to the street. That took me 30 minutes. At that time, my thumbs usually start getting cold. I learned the last time that if I ignore them and keep going, it will be a painful experience as they warm up. I don’t know if it is caused more by poor circulation, or if it is a side effect of diabetes called diabetic neuropathy. I used to think it was just the one thumb, and although that one does seem to be affected more by the cold.
Diabetic neuropathy can be very painful. I have had nerve pain, and my new doctor is wondering if I am experiencing it because of diabetes. I can’t say for sure. I hurt my thumb that is really sensitive to cold temperatures, years ago, and I always thought that it was a side effect of hitting my thumb. Now I am not so sure, as they were both bothering me tonight.
I also have pain in my right thigh. Not all the time, but it can bring me to tears when it is bad. I have discovered that it is coming from my hip flexor muscles. I have had physiotherapy and acupuncture to try and release whatever is causing it. It is a pinched nerve, so I try and stretch the muscles when I can. I would not wish nerve pain on my worst enemy. Just another reason to keep pushing myself. When I lose weight, the thigh problem may go away. That would be wonderful.
I am a little down this week, as my blog has not been getting as many views as it used to. I don’t know what to think. I do know I am going to keep writing, and hopefully, it will turn around. If you are reading this, thank you. I need all the support I can get on my journies, and I hope in some way I can help people with my writing. The only way to know is to keep on blogging.
#TrustYourGut
by Tish MacWebber | Mar 7, 2018 | Treasure Seeker Tuesdays
In Treasure Seeker Tuesday #22 Love This Viral Trend, I am going to share a fun, uplifting viral trend with you. I could not wait to take my friend, Matty out to help me be trendy. ME! He loved the idea also, and we both had a blast this evening after work.
First, I want to share a teaser of the glasses that I am not buying. I always try on the wildest styles, just for fun! Here are the wildest ones I encountered while I was out trying on glasses. I am told the pair I am replacing are out of style. It is not that I don’t love my current look, but even I admit that I love getting a new look every 2 years. Sometimes, I do have to wait longer, if my prescription lenses don’t need to change. My husband thinks that I am high maintenance. That makes me laugh so hard! He has NO idea what that means, which is why it is so hilarious.
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Floral Pattern Glasses Frames
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Pick a Fandom Frames Nerd-tastic
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Coco Chanel Sunglasses
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Go Retro with the Viewfinder!
I must say, that walking around, trying on glasses, looking into a cellphone, and saying, “Cheese!” multiple times until it took the pictures of me was rather amusing.
That is a little sneak peek of what I didn’t buy for my new glasses. I did order a regular pair and a pair of sunglasses. I am really looking forward to getting them on Friday, after work.
So what is this viral trend that I decided to participate in? Well, I saw a video earlier this week on Facebook. I am, as you know if you read my blog, an author, and I am writing my first book. I have been advised many times to get professional headshots done for my Author Bio. I am also doing as much as I can myself, and when I need help, I ask my friends. I know a few people that are photographers, but I really think that my friend Matty is really talented. We have an agreement that when I am a rich and famous Author, I will pay him for his photography services. In the meantime, we are learning what we need to do to make that perfect Author pic happen. We are picking days and learning by having demo photo shoots. Today was one of those days.
The trend I am referring to is to go to your local craft store, find the walls of artificial flowers, and pose like they are real. It is a simple, wonderful concept, sure to chase away the winter blues, at least for a couple of hours. We went for an hour, and had a blast! Nobody asked us what we were up to, although I think some people were curious. Here is the link to where I saw the idea…#HobbyLobbyChallenge. While I do not have Hobby Lobby store in my city, I do have craft stores. We went in, had our impromptu photo shoot, looked around for a few minutes, and left to continue on with our regularly scheduled Tuesday. I didn’t come up with this idea, and I know that there is a grammatical error in the video, (I didn’t make the video, either) I do love the concept.
When I was grabbing the link to share here, I noticed a lot of comments about the grammar and the store. I am not going to focus on that. I think that if you look at the pictures we took in the hour at a local craft store, you will agree that it was an hour well spent, and I think for a spur of the moment photo op, we did well!
Here are the 30 pics we took today, for you to view in a slideshow. Let me know what you think!
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26 Tish
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4 Matty
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So I am issuing a challenge to you all to go and have yourself a “Bring on Spring” photoshoot! We liked the idea, and had fun! I am going to be on the lookout when spring and summer are here to try and find a natural floral backdrop for another adventure or ten with my photographer and friend, Matty. Thanks for helping me today, and for supporting me on my journey. We are going to rock this together!
#TreasureSeekerTuesday
by Tish MacWebber | Mar 5, 2018 | Weekend Warrior
In Weekend Warrior #54 And the Academy Award Goes to…I am writing about my weekend as I am watching the Academy Awards. This was a weekend of big and small things. I made a significant decision in my life. It was important, and it will affect me for the next few years.
I have been searching for my new glasses for about a month now. I went out again this weekend with the intention to buy this time. I went back to Costco, where I learned that yes, I could get a temporary shopping pass twice a year, and I could get a member to buy me gift certificates to buy my glasses with there. It seemed like a lot of hassle to me, after I thought about it.
I went back to Pearle Vision. When I couldn’t find the paper in my purse with the frames I had tried the other time I was there, the salesperson walked away. I had told her that I was at Costco and that I was planning to buy my glasses. She lost that sale because she didn’t want to help me finalize my purchase. I had a friend with me, and she wanted to try another store.
I went to Hakim Optical with her. I was worried that they were going to be more expensive, and they were, a little. The prices are not listed on the frames, which made it a little scarier. Vogue was the most expensive store I had visited. I just hadn’t found any glasses that I thought were the pair I wanted to wear for two years or more at this point.
I have written about this on my Facebook page. There was a moment, at the last store. I was looking at a wall of glasses (they have the most frames to choose from of the 4 stores I visited) and my friend missed a pair that I am now saying picked me. Yes, just like the wands on Harry Potter, these glasses stood out from the wall and drew my hand to pick them up. It was magical. That was it. I found them. I got help with the sunglasses, and I am pleased with them as well. I will be sharing my new look as well as a new eyeshadow technique (new to me, anyway) a week from now, as it is less than 20 minutes into Monday where I am now. I might just try something different with my hair, too. If it works, I will be happy. If not, it will be time to plan to go and get my hair cut in a few months. I have been letting it grow, with a new style in mind, but I do not know if it is going to be an option for me. So I will see what happens when I play with my hair and makeup and new glasses, and I will share that in a week.
Sunday had a slower pace. I have gotten up at my normal time, did a little creative work, and went back to bed. I slept in. How I love sleeping and not having to set an alarm. I worked a little on the computer and helped another friend. I ran the dishwasher and did some laundry. I am starting to get my gumption back. This is good, because it is MARCH already, and I have yet to get my spring cleaning done! If I leave it too late, it becomes a miserable job in the heat. I know this. Spring turns to summer overnight here. One day it is cool and rainy, and the next the heat wave hits. Just like that. So I need to get my act together and get some cleaning done. I started tonight, which gives me hope that I can keep it going and make things better here. I have other things to do too, and I find I need to start wherever I feel like I can, and then I can keep going. A start was made today, and this is a really good thing.
I did watch The Academy Awards. They just finished, and I loved all of the dresses. THere were a few beautiful gowns, and I think my favourite look was the one of Sandra Bullock tonight. I really thought she looked beautiful.
That is a wrap for this weekend. I must say that for me this week, it was a win. Hands down! I made an important purchase, planned an extra blog post for next week, and I got some chores done around the house. When you look at the big picture, that is a win for me!
#WeekendWarrior
by Tish MacWebber | Mar 2, 2018 | Trust Your Gut
This week, in Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; #53 Me vs the Bathroom Scale. It’s Complicated, I am going to share that yes, I did get on the scale. It was not a good thing that I saw. Not the highest number ever, but certainly not a good one, either. A teeny tiny voice tried to tell me that it was muscle because I went to Zumba yesterday. I know better. It is because I have been into things that I shouldn’t be.
I am my own worst enemy. I know what I need to do to fix my weight issues. I choose the wrong things and I am not happy about it. I don’t have guilt, per se, but I do the same thing over and over again.
I was on the right track last week. Then I ran into hormones and temptations. I saw the results of that when I got on the scale this morning. it was not a good number.
In my defense, I am not perfect. I am allowed to make mistakes. I am human. They add up though, and I see the results when I get on the scale. So how do I deal with it? There are really only 2 options.
I can do nothing, be miserable, get that happy out of whatever I am eating that is not healthy because I am eating my feelings, not the food that I put in my mouth, or I can change. Change is hard. I have been known to make changes rather suddenly in the past, though, and I am not entirely afraid of change. Let’s look at it in terms of beverages.
I have been drinking coffee quite regularly for a few years. I added it in when I gave up Diet Coke. That used to be my main source of caffeine. As a diabetic, we are told to drink diet pop instead of regular pop. The experts say that it is better to drink it because the aspartame is better for a diabetic than sugar. Sugar is bad, and there is a lot of sugar in regular pop. (If you aren’t used to the term pop, it is what we call soda in Canada). I am not writing to slam diet Coke alone, I am slamming aspartame. I have been in better health without it. It was a personal choice, and in reality, if I can’t have Zevia (pop sweetened with Stevia), then I should be drinking water, or cashew milk, or a THM beverage. I do drink regular pop sometimes. I have found myself excusing it because I am eating unhealthy, so the healthy pop is a waste, I will just have regular pop. Like that makes any sense at all. In my morbidly obese mind, I have concocted this reason to do something that is unhealthy for me to do and attempted to justify it. I need an intervention. What the what? As I write this, I am shaking my own head. Nope, that does not make sense.
Coffee. I used to put things in my coffee. Then one day, I started drinking my coffee black. I knew it was healthier to drink the coffee straight up. Since adding the Shrinker with the oolong tea, I am actually noticing a difference in my alertness after they are both in me. So I have made some changes that are having a positive impact, and they were decided upon rather quickly. These decisions I have no regrets about.
How did I handle the number on the scale today? Badly. I had takeout for lunch, and a bottle of wine this evening. It was good wine, at least. I now am getting ready to chase it with an electrolyte-rich beverage because I do have to work tomorrow, and I want to be functional. (Rapido Red Italian wine is really good for the price I paid. It was on sale) I have started drinking Bio-Steel from GNC for Zumba, and I really like it. It is a sugar-free sports drink. It is sweetened with beets, and it is pink. So I am having a Bio Steel “chaser” before bed. Hey, I can start making better choices now, I don’t have to wait for Monday or tomorrow.
#TrustYourGut
by Tish MacWebber | Feb 28, 2018 | Treasure Seeker Tuesdays
Hello Treasure Seekers! In Treasure Seeker Tuesday #21 Getting my BLING ON! I am going to talk about the other passion that I am following. It might have been a little bit neglected over the past several months, but I need to give the Bling some love and attention! I have some projects that have been adding up, and this week I am going to play with beads!
While I am writing my books, I am also making a collection of jewellery for each book. That is going to take up a bit of time, and I want to get my current projects all taken care of before I start head first into writing and designing for Book 1. I have started both…and I am back into writing. I have not gotten far with the spring cleaning, but that is for my Weekend Warrior to explain.
Designing jewellery is something that I am learning as I go. Just like the blogging, and the songwriting and the book writing. I am just doing it. I struggle more with the jewellery designing. I have to try things, and take them apart, and try not to waste anything, and try again. I am half Scottish, so I hate to waste anything. When I have to take something apart, I try really hard to not wreck the supplies. It is just what I do
Trial and error happens a lot more in the Blinging. When I write, I just write. I can edit, but I don’t always edit my writing. It depends on what comes out. I started making jewellery from following patterns from magazines. I played with colour. Now I work with a few designs I have created. I have found myself starting to draw out designs. That means I am thinking out the projects from start to finish. It is a huge accomplishment. In gamer terms, I have levelled up!
That means when I am ready to launch Collections for the books, they will be completely unique to my creative designs. Quirky, fun, whimsical and something I would wear myself. If I wouldn’t wear it, then that falls in a custom design and is being made for a specific person.
They say you should have a person that you choose as the ideal customer. I have someone in mind. She is a fictional character, from a TV show. If I was to share it here, then it might bias you as a potential customer. You might think that actress wears stuff that you wouldn’t wear. I am not sure that I have captured the essence yet. I am going to try and implement designing the new collections with her in mind. Maybe one day I will reveal the identity. Obviously, I wish for everyone to love what I create.
I have a friend that really supports my jewellery designs. I have made earring sets for her, as she has two piercings, and she has told me that she likes them to match. She has been my biggest supporter in the last few years, and my best customer. With her in mind, I make more than one type of jewellery. The kind she would wear, and the kind she would not wear. I do work for originality, and when I create a design and then figure out how it will work, it is really something to put it all together. That is why I am bringing the Bling on this journey. I know I can make it work!
#TreasureSeekerTuesday
