Saturday, April 13, 2019
Mission accomplished
3.01 miles. Goal of running the length of a marathon in one week accomplished. In your face Opera Week. 💪🏼
Friday, April 12, 2019
Thursday, April 11, 2019
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
Monday, April 8, 2019
Sunday, April 7, 2019
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
Biggest quality of life improvements of the past 12 months
Since it's been almost a full year since we've been regularly in touch, here are a few things I've discovered that have dramatically improved my quality of life. In no particular order:
1. Joining a book club. Last January (2018) I kind of invited myself into a book club. I thought it was, like, an established society. Then I showed up at the first meeting and there were only two people. Barging into their intimate lunches and conversation was certainly not my intent, but they were gracious and invited me to stay anyway. And their monthly accountability, combined with excellent book recommendations, kept me reading last year. I finished 54 books and watched a lot less Netflix.
2. Inheriting a treadmill. Running is something I've maintained pretty consistently over the past four years. However, finding the will power to run outside in Rochester in winter is challenging, even for people who LOVE running. (I don't love it. I just love how I feel after I'm done.) I don't think Roy was that excited when my parents unloaded their monstrosity of a treadmill into our living room. And I'm quite positive he wasn't excited when the two of us lugged it upstairs into our bedroom. But we've both been running this winter. A lot. I can do it when the kids are napping or after their in bed at night. I don't freeze my tail off or have my nose run off my face. And I can make up some of that lost Netflix time.
3. Finding good babysitters who drive. Picture me getting home at 8:30PM after a night of teaching. Picture me walking into a quiet house, paying the babysitter, then waking up three sound asleep little boys, packing them into the van, driving 30 minutes to return the babysitter to her place of origin, unpacking all the boys, and putting them back to bed. Now picture me walking into a quiet house at 8:30PM, paying the babysitter, sending her on her way, and hopping on the treadmill.
4. King Arthur flour. I'm a fairly meticulous baker. (Ask 4 year old Owen, who is learning to bake by weight rather than volume.) I've been consistently frustrated with wet doughs for baking. Soggy, sticky dough is maddening, and adding more flour led to dense, dry results. I gave King Arthur a chance and I'll probably never go back. The hydration difference is astounding to me. I'm using the exact same weight of product and getting a completely more manageable, delicious, finished product. I kind of wish something as basic as flour didn't have to require some sort of extra investment, but in this instance, I'll do it.
5. New glasses frames. I'm as blind as a bat. My lenses are incredibly thick and heavy. I'd been using the same frames since college, so when the right insurance came along to invest in a new pair without breaking the bank, I jumped at the chance. And then the wonderful man at the eye place introduced me to some sort of magic frames that weigh next to nothing, even with my coke bottle lenses. I've had these glasses for probably six months now and there STILL is not a night that I don't put them on and marvel at how comfortable they are.
6. The Paprika app. I may have mentioned this before--I think I've owned it longer than 12 months, but it's been in the past 4 months that I've started consistently using it for meal planning and grocery lists. Our grocery bills have gone down by about 20% in 2019, despite our growing kids, a toddler who can demolish a tub of hummus in a single go, and the grownups' penchant for exotic, experimental flavors.
7. Monthly dinner parties. Inspired by Lindsay Ostrom at pinchofyum.com, I initiated a monthly dinner club for a group of 6 gals at my church. We rotate homes, menus, and contributions. The long nights of fellowship and excellent food have nourished us all mind, body, and soul. My collection of peacock paraphernalia has blossomed as well.
8. A healthy iPhone battery. My iPhone was refurbished when we bought it and the battery did odd things. It didn't like cold weather any more than I do, so it would nosedive in subzero temperatures. I'd go from 80%-5% in two minutes. I became tethered to charging cables, and had to have one with me at all times in order to ensure I'd be able to access my phone. Roy finally stole it from me and took it to the Apple store to replace the offending part. Now I don't need to charge three times a day. One of those things that bugs you but you don't realize how much it's bugging you until it's fixed.
The treadmill has stopped overhead, so Roy must be done. Signing off for now so we can enjoy a little time together before I put on my feather-light glasses and crawl into bed.
1. Joining a book club. Last January (2018) I kind of invited myself into a book club. I thought it was, like, an established society. Then I showed up at the first meeting and there were only two people. Barging into their intimate lunches and conversation was certainly not my intent, but they were gracious and invited me to stay anyway. And their monthly accountability, combined with excellent book recommendations, kept me reading last year. I finished 54 books and watched a lot less Netflix.
2. Inheriting a treadmill. Running is something I've maintained pretty consistently over the past four years. However, finding the will power to run outside in Rochester in winter is challenging, even for people who LOVE running. (I don't love it. I just love how I feel after I'm done.) I don't think Roy was that excited when my parents unloaded their monstrosity of a treadmill into our living room. And I'm quite positive he wasn't excited when the two of us lugged it upstairs into our bedroom. But we've both been running this winter. A lot. I can do it when the kids are napping or after their in bed at night. I don't freeze my tail off or have my nose run off my face. And I can make up some of that lost Netflix time.
3. Finding good babysitters who drive. Picture me getting home at 8:30PM after a night of teaching. Picture me walking into a quiet house, paying the babysitter, then waking up three sound asleep little boys, packing them into the van, driving 30 minutes to return the babysitter to her place of origin, unpacking all the boys, and putting them back to bed. Now picture me walking into a quiet house at 8:30PM, paying the babysitter, sending her on her way, and hopping on the treadmill.
4. King Arthur flour. I'm a fairly meticulous baker. (Ask 4 year old Owen, who is learning to bake by weight rather than volume.) I've been consistently frustrated with wet doughs for baking. Soggy, sticky dough is maddening, and adding more flour led to dense, dry results. I gave King Arthur a chance and I'll probably never go back. The hydration difference is astounding to me. I'm using the exact same weight of product and getting a completely more manageable, delicious, finished product. I kind of wish something as basic as flour didn't have to require some sort of extra investment, but in this instance, I'll do it.
5. New glasses frames. I'm as blind as a bat. My lenses are incredibly thick and heavy. I'd been using the same frames since college, so when the right insurance came along to invest in a new pair without breaking the bank, I jumped at the chance. And then the wonderful man at the eye place introduced me to some sort of magic frames that weigh next to nothing, even with my coke bottle lenses. I've had these glasses for probably six months now and there STILL is not a night that I don't put them on and marvel at how comfortable they are.
6. The Paprika app. I may have mentioned this before--I think I've owned it longer than 12 months, but it's been in the past 4 months that I've started consistently using it for meal planning and grocery lists. Our grocery bills have gone down by about 20% in 2019, despite our growing kids, a toddler who can demolish a tub of hummus in a single go, and the grownups' penchant for exotic, experimental flavors.
7. Monthly dinner parties. Inspired by Lindsay Ostrom at pinchofyum.com, I initiated a monthly dinner club for a group of 6 gals at my church. We rotate homes, menus, and contributions. The long nights of fellowship and excellent food have nourished us all mind, body, and soul. My collection of peacock paraphernalia has blossomed as well.
8. A healthy iPhone battery. My iPhone was refurbished when we bought it and the battery did odd things. It didn't like cold weather any more than I do, so it would nosedive in subzero temperatures. I'd go from 80%-5% in two minutes. I became tethered to charging cables, and had to have one with me at all times in order to ensure I'd be able to access my phone. Roy finally stole it from me and took it to the Apple store to replace the offending part. Now I don't need to charge three times a day. One of those things that bugs you but you don't realize how much it's bugging you until it's fixed.
The treadmill has stopped overhead, so Roy must be done. Signing off for now so we can enjoy a little time together before I put on my feather-light glasses and crawl into bed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)