by Tish MacWebber | May 21, 2017 | Weekend Warrior
Here we go again! It is the middle of a sunny, not too hot but a little too breezy weekend. I say that because it is BEAUTIFUL out, but not quite warm enough for wearing shorts. Perfect weather to cook and clean in. Too bad yesterday was an errands day, so not a lot got done around the house. We did take some time to enjoy the sunshine, though.
We went out to a fundraiser for Great Danes yesterday. Roy bought a t-shirt to support the cause. I am holding off because I would rather buy one from the Boston Terrier Rescue Canada group, BTRC as I volunteer with them. We had lunch and hit up some stores.
There was a bead sale, so I went there first. I then went to Bed Bath and Beyond. I would spend more money in there if I had it to spend, well who am I kidding, I love shopping, and money flows faster than mercury through my hands. Blink twice, and it’s gone, kind of like my awesome time management skills, I have the same ability in both of those areas. Amazing talents to have…not! My husband went to the pet store. He is working really hard on his 75-gallon fish tank set up. I cannot wait to finally post some pics when it is all done! I will share the finished setup photos when he is happy with it and ready to show it off.
At the second store I found some coffee on sale, not as good of a sale as the last time I was there, but still, a sale is better than full price. The reason I went was to get an organizational drawer for my fridge. There is a drawer on a slider in the middle of my fridge, but the space underneath that drawer is a nightmare to keep organized. My husband does not want to open the fridge and see multiple organization containers inside. I see the value of the system, but don’t want to buy more bins for the fridge until he changes his mind. This is the beginning of that transition. It may never proceed past the initial phase, but at least I get to tackle one huge problem area in our fridge.
I started my Sunday off in Church. I do like going and was a little late, but better late than never, I thought. So I went. Then I went to a coffee shop to wait for my ride home. It was a good start to the week, and to my Sunday.
I am headed back into the kitchen today. I NEED to run the dishwasher and get the dishes back under control. I think I am starting to feel better, hurrah for antibiotics and trying a different kind! I am wanting to do things again. Still not feeling completely healthy, but feeling like I want to get some things done around here again is a big plus.
I didn’t get things done last weekend. I was really feeling awful, and sometimes what you need to do has to be prioritized. I needed to rest so that I would get better, and be able to get some spring cleaning done this weekend.
I am not going to focus only on the kitchen today. I have an issue in the Master Bedroom that needs attention. I am notoriously famous for piling things up everywhere I go. My desk, my craft supplies, clothes or anything and everything. I do not like putting things away. So today, I am going to take the time to change the sheets and put my clothes away. Then I can rearrange the dresser and assemble the 6 cube shelving unit I bought a while back. If I really get on a roll, there may be pics here next weekend! I am still not feeling the motivation to finish the kitchen, so I am going to change the plans for today after I get those dishes done. I have some prep cooking to do also. I want the kitchen clean before I start cooking. I have 3 lbs of ground beef and a whole chicken to work with today when prep cooking. The beef will make 2 different meals, and the chicken is going into my crock pot. I really love making this recipe with whole chickens, ever since I found it online a while ago.
So, I intend to fully bounce the house today. That is a Tish-ism. You can read about it here: Bouncing the House. The tunes will be cranked, and I will be doing a little singing and dancing while I work. After all, if it isn’t a little bit fun, I will never get it done!
by Tish MacWebber | May 4, 2017 | Trust Your Gut
The names here may or may not reflect the person’s real name. If someone wants to remain unknown, we will choose a different name for that person’s story. The goal is to help people, and anonymity is a valid personal choice for contributors. I will use a person’s name only if they give permission to do so.
This week I am pleased to share another of my own stories.
Here is Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 11
I bought my first tankini. I went to one store and tried on the one piece swimsuits. I was disappointed. So I had to go outside of my comfort zone. The people working there were helpful. They told me that the best thing about a 2 piece was that if you had to go to the bathroom, it was a lot easier. I thought about that and decided to try on a tankini.
The style I chose has a tank top and shorts. Everything is still covered. Just like a normal bathing suit. The shorts are comfortable. The top was a challenge. I need support, but didn’t find the right kind in the first few tops I tried on. Support in a swimsuit = constrictive. It felt too tight. So I kept trying on different tops until I found one that fit right in that area.
Then it was the wrong style. Of course. So the search continued. I settled on a striped one that looks just like a tank top. Then I went swimming. The top floats! I didn’t want one that did that, and I was assured that they don’t do that now. That was my main reason for wanting a one piece. I was a little paranoid at first. There is a built-in bikini support in the top. So I just fussed with it a lot but had a good time swimming. It will be OK for Aquacise, I think. It will take some getting used to but I think it will work better than my old swimsuits. It actually fits and was a size smaller than the other ones I tried. Yay me!
While travelling this past weekend, I let the plan slide a little. I didn’t overeat. I ate healthy choices when I could. I ate, and I didn’t worry too much about it. Sometimes life takes priority. You do what you can, and let it slide a little. Then you have to get back on track. For me, prep cooking helps me to stay on track. I have to do the work so that when I want to take the easy way out, the easy way IS to stay on plan. I have learned this while on THM, and I am the only person that can make those choices for me, so ultimately, it is up to me.
A friend introduced me to spaghetti squash. I was reluctant to try it. I do like squash as a side dish, but I had never tried spaghetti squash before.
It sat in my kitchen for a week before I bit the bullet and tried it.
I was pleasantly surprised! I now eat spaghetti squash a couple of times a month. It is good with spaghetti sauce. It is good in spaghetti pie. It is good in casseroles. The verdict is that I like it.
When we have spaghetti, I have spaghetti squash instead of the pasta. I load the sauce on it, and the parmesan cheese and eat until I am full. Without the tired feeling that I get when I eat pasta. I call it SPAGHETTI SALAD! What a wonderful gift my friend gave me when she told me to take that spaghetti squash home to try it. If you haven’t tried spaghetti squash, try it with an open mind. It really is worth it for me, and if you like it, you can thank me for the tip after you try it.
If you don’t know how to cook it, I didn’t either. Here is a link for cooking it in the microwave or the oven:
How to cook a spaghetti squash in the microwave or the oven
I found this link and the one below in my own internet searches, all credit goes to the authors of the instructional pages. The other method I can recommend is the slow cooker. You can find the instructions for that here:
How to cook spaghetti squash in a slow cooker aka crock pot.
So my tip for you this week is to try spaghetti squash if you have never tried it before. If you already love it, maybe try it in a new recipe, or try another healthy recipe that you have been hesitant to cook for whatever reason. Just go for it! And comment below if you did. Let me know how it turns out!
Do you have a favourite way to cook spaghetti squash or a favourite recipe for making spaghetti squash?
by Tish MacWebber | Apr 12, 2017 | Trust Your Gut
The names here may or may not reflect the person’s real name. If someone wants to remain unknown, we will choose a different name for that person’s story. The goal is to help people, and anonymity is a valid personal choice for contributors. I will use a person’s name only if they give permission to do so.
This week I am pleased to share another of my own stories.
Here is Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 8
I am following the Trim Healthy Mama (THM) Plan. They have some books on the program, and it is implemented into your life, the best way you can. I am honestly telling you that I am trying. I am also going to admit that I am struggling.
I can’t seem to find my willpower. It is so easy to eat the unhealthy, off plan things. They are all prepared and full of preservatives, and sugar and other junk, but they are literally the no-brainer choice. When you are hungry, and there is a choice of something quick and easy, it is SO easy to fall into that pattern.
I am not an official THM trained coach, I am making my own way, and not on plan 100% of the time. But I do see the value of it. I have seen myself make little changes along the way, and I believe that they will all add up one day. Someday I will realize that the changes I am making added up to enough effort to make a difference.
I keep checking my waistline. Every once in a while I stand straight, with my hands on my waistline, and I think that it is smaller. I just measured it for fun. It isn’t. One day it will be.
I have decided that it is time to start looking for a new bathing suit. The last time I did that I was ready to throw in the beach towel. I tried on all the one piece suits I could find, in all the local stores. The very last one I tried on was the one I bought. It was perfect. The straps have lost their elasticity, and I tied knots in them last summer to hold the bathing suit in place. It does not fit right anymore, so I have decided to start hunting for a new one.
It must be a one piece. I refuse to buy a bathing suit that has a skirt. Support is a must. It has to fit right, be fashionable, comfortable, and practical. I would like to say it will be a size or two smaller than the last one. Maybe next year I can do that.
When I find one I like, I am going to look into swimming more often. I would like to get back into Aquacise classes. I used to go, and I think it is time to get back into a swimming pool on a regular basis. A long time ago, on an island on the East Coast of Canada, I used to teach swimming lessons. I love swimming as much as I love dancing. I think it is time to start adding in new activities to help me want to make smarter choices about what I eat. One small change at a time, I will regain control of my health, my body size, my energy levels, and my life. It all comes down to me. I know the easy way is how I got to be in this predicament. I have to set my mind to working my way back out, one small change at a time. Then it won’t be such a daunting task to get a new bathing suit. Having a choice of several bathing suits instead of the only one that works will be something to look forward to.
by Tish MacWebber | Feb 6, 2017 | His & Hers
It struck me funny today when we went to a local hardware store for some home improvement items and odds and ends that by the time we left, we each had our own shopping carts. My husband had a short list, of exactly what he needed for his project. He is working on the man cave, and it’s his thing, so I have no worries about it at all. He is installing a shelf between two bookcases for the TV to be on the shelf. It is not a large TV, and it shouldn’t be too heavy for what he wants to do. He thought we would be only gone for an hour.
I wanted cube storage shelves. It was another weekend where the gumption wasn’t there to keep working on the cleaning, and we just got the new headboard installed yesterday. Bye bye milk crates, I’m a grown up now. It is curious to me that it is designed to be an inch or so above the floor. It is nice. When my room is all clean and neat, maybe I will take a picture.
So off we went to the hardware store. His list involved getting wood cut to his required lengths for his project. I wandered. One of the employees saw me going up and down the middle aisle, and asked if he could help. I replied, “Nope. I just hope my husband comes back to find me at some point.” He hoped so too. I don’t think he really knew what to say. I get that reaction from people sometimes. It’s OK, I am used to it.
I found my shelving unit, but it was too heavy for me to get into the cart. I found collapsible fabric cubes, but they weren’t exactly what I was looking for. Then I found the cutest plastic bins that have an aqua pattern on them, with white. And they were on sale! That sold it for me. While I was wandering, I found the sliding cupboard drawer inserts for organizing the cupboards, and one for pots and pans. We can’t afford everything all at once, those are on a wish list. We may find a more affordable solution if we keep looking.
I also found a wall art display for just clipping pictures on. It is exactly what I have wanted for YEARS to hang various postcards on as an art display. It found its way into my shopping cart. At this point, I found my husband, and he had his supplies. I showed him what I was able to find, and he lifted the white 9 square cube shelving unit box into my cart.
By the time we were done, I had decided to go to the next store also. I wanted a cleaner they carried. I also got a desk drawer organizer, which I am in desperate need of, it is scary in there. I got a magnet stick from the canning supplies to fish out the mason jar lids that vacuum seal to the plug in my kitchen sink, and the cleaning product I wanted. He had time to go to the dollar store for a pop and the frame I needed there for something I printed earlier that needs a frame.
We then ran to two different grocery stores to pick up a few things, and then to a restaurant for take out. Our one hour errand was three hours long. It was Superbowl Sunday, after all. I am not the biggest football fan. I watch it every year, and I enjoy the commercials and the halftime show. My friend is the biggest Little Monster I know, and he wasn’t going to be able to go to his other friend’s house to see the halftime show. So I recorded it and drove over to get him. Nobody enjoyed it more than he did, and we had fun watching it. More than once. We discussed the song choices, all great, and the outfits and the whole presentation. We agreed that it was an awesome halftime show, and Lady Gaga did a phenomenal job. I loved her entrance, and the exit was perfect. I did sense a Bowie influence in her first costume, and that was fitting for her to still pay him tribute in that small way. He was a big influence in a lot of musicians lives, and she has performed his music in remembrance to him. I liked that choice. My friend also pointed out that in the last song, the group of dancers moved to be in the shape of a football. I saw the helmets, but that never dawned on me, until he said it. Overall, I think it may be one of my favourite halftime shows, and they are always good. Here is a selfie with Lady Gaga, my friend, and me.
It was a close game, and the Patriots came back to win it in overtime. So for the fans, I am sure the game was a big hit this year. Whomever they choose to play the Halftime show next year has some mighty big sparkly boots to fill.
All in all it was another productive weekend. We got some chores done, even if it wasn’t progress on the kitchen, it is progress. Sometimes you need to take the detour to get to where you really needed to go in the first place.
by Tish MacWebber | Jan 22, 2017 | Weekend Warrior
I have made some progress in my kitchen and in my health. These are things that are important to me right now. I am getting my environment ready to write a book. I am preparing myself to be healthier when I write. So tonight I plan to sit back with a nice glass of wine for a mini celebration of my progress.
The trick is to keep going. A small celebration is OK, but it doesn’t mean I am done working on my projects. Far from it. The old me would have stopped, because I got something accomplished. The new me that wants a more productive life, wants to finish it all. So I am taking a break. Having a treat, and then getting some prep work done for lunches this week.
It looked like I missed throwing out expired bottles of salad dressing and the like last year. That makes sense, as a year ago I was under medical restrictions concerning movement. I was fighting a knee infection, and not able to move around as much as I like to. It was a scary experience, being told to stay as still as possible to prevent spreading the infection, and it was hard to comply. Yet here I am, working on a deep cleaning project of my house, a year later.
I am back to normal (as close as I get, anyway) and focused. My end goal is a book. Then another. It will take three to write a trilogy. However, if I didn’t start with my cleaning projects first, they may never get done. That’s not OK. I have to be healthy to be productive, inside and out. So I am not procrastinating about writing, not at all. I am being realistic. If I don’t make myself do this first, it won’t get done. I know myself. I will get sucked in to my imagination, and not come up for air for days. Maybe weeks or even months. The point is, I am doing it. Working on my home, and working on making myself healthier also.
It is hard to sit at my desk, and not work on the immediate area. I am creative, and would rather make a mess than clean it up. I have to focus on the kitchen now, and another project will be my living room/office cleaning. As my husband and I generally do work on the living room together, I will have help in that room. Which is good. I am not living here by myself. I sent my husband out for groceries while I got ready to tackle the fridge. I wish I could say I was ready when he got home, but I was in the middle of it. So he put the freezer things away, and helped a little here and there. He made me a kaiser roll with ham and swiss. A regular roll is not on my plan, but sometimes if someone offers to make you something to eat, you have what is offered.
Another reason I do not want to start working on the living room/office right now is that I won’t finish either room. I get distracted easily, and if I am working on multiple projects simultaneously, chances are one won’t be completed, maybe more than one. So I have my reasons for working on things in order. Once the whole house is clean, then I will begin a maintenance routine, something quick and efficient.
In terms of my health, the scale was nice this morning. I am working harder to stay on plan, so I can start losing weight. It is so much easier to be lazy about everything. Last year I decided that what I was doing then was not working, and I decided it was time to make some changes. Trim Healthy Mama was in an ad on facebook one day, and I thought it was worth a shot. I am still working on it, and have lost weight. If I stick to it, it works, and I do try. This year I am trying harder, and this will show me more results.
My snack for my celebration will include cheese, turkey pepperoni, some pickles, and that glass of wine. I have a bottle that has been open a little too long, so I am going to have a glass from it. Then I will have to go back to the kitchen. I am not going to finish tonight. I am going to finish up some dishes, and find some order in the chaos that happens when I clean. Things move to where they are not in the way until I find a place to put them to stay. And when I go to bed tonight, I will have a restful sleep after such a productive day.
As long as I continue working on my projects, I can have little celebrations along the way. And chocolate. 85% cocoa chocolate IS on plan, and something I am also happy about! Celebrate the little successes along the way, and keep going. Whatever you are working on, do it. It will be a giant snowball of positivity when you finish, and when you are on a roll, it’s easier to keep going than to stop.
I wish I had gherkin pickles. Oh well, another grocery run in 2 weeks will fix that for me!
I made my husband look at the completed fridge. Hearing him say, “Nice!” as he looked at the way I have organized our food was validation. I did a good job.
A Kind Word Goes A Long Way
