Clean, Clean, Clean

Yippee!!!! It's 2 days before thanksgiving and we have maybe 5 hours of housework left!!!!  It has been a profitable year of cleaning and we unearthed $200 worth of gift cards, $10 in checks and $140 in cash!

Today Brian is hanging out at home waiting for the refrigerator repair man and the carpet shampooing guys.  It's nice to have the house clean and organized - we're planning to spend a few more weekends this winter going through the extra stuff to try to get rid of other items we don't need and won't use.  We are almost to the end of the freezer pantry challenge.  I confess - some days I have phoned it in and called a bowl of cereal a success.  The good news is that we can see the bottom of one side of the big freezer, and we have a plan to get through the rest of the food.

We Have Cabin Fever

Even though I love the change of the seasons, and I have nothing personal against snow we have cabin fever!!!!  We are in week two of the polar vortex and I am so ready to play outside without 3 layers of clothes on I can barely stand it.  We have a rule for dog walking that it has to be above freezing but I might push it today so that they can get out some of their restless energy.  

We slept in Des Moines over the weekend.  The Simpson Storm played a hard and snowy game and lost in the last two minutes.  It was an exceptionally hard season but they continued to fight.  

For the freezer pantry challenge update - Friday night we had pasta with pepperoni.  Saturday morning I slugged down a bowl of cereal before we hit the road and Sunday night we feasted on Wild Rice casserole using a pound of hamburger from the freezer and cream of mushroom soup from the pantry followed by Fruit Forrest pie for dessert.  Monday night my mom came for dinner so I made meatloaf (used up the last of the bread crumbs and a pound of ground beef) with mashed potatoes and butternut squash with leftover pie for dessert.  It feels good to get through things and I have spent less than $180 on groceries this month.  If I took out the money I spent on alcohol to get ready for Thanksgiving it's probably less than $140.  

I was motivated for housework Sunday but last night I was a big lump and fell asleep on the couch before 9, Brian shuttled me off to bed when he got home for church and I still hit the snooze a few times this morning.  Apparently I should be hibernating!  

I Have Been a Slacker

But I own it!

Last weekend we enjoyed two cold football games, time with family and some hotel laziness in Des Moines.  Tomorrow is the last Simpson varsity game of the season and it sounds like the weather is going to be rough with snow and plenty of wind.  We are definitely feeling the polar vortex.  There is a chance we'll see above freezing temperatures during the day starting on Wednesday!!!!

Over the weekend I delivered cake mix cookies as part of the freezer/pantry challenge.  Monday I brought a lunch from the freezer and we had sandwiches, chips, mandarin oranges and cookies for dinner.  Since the chips were from the pantry I think it counts!  Tuesday I brought a lunch from the freezer and an oatmeal cup for breakfast from the pantry.  Brian picked up dinner since we had a LONG day.  Wednesday night we had friends over for dinner.  I made broccoli soup, chili and corn muffins so the freezer coughed up a pound of ground beef and I used 8 cans, a quart of stock and 2 boxes of corn muffin mix from the pantry.  Thursday I was a total failure.  I had a meeting that included breakfast and lunch and we had deacons so we didn't eat at home all day.  Since I used so many things on Wednesday I feel like it balances out!  We are starting to get ready for Thanksgiving so I have the cleaning list done - thank goodness I still have 2 weeks to get it all done.

While I am surviving the freezer/pantry challenge my workouts have been hit or miss - I have many excuses related to cold temperatures.  I need to get back on the wagon - so expect to see some accountability here on the blog while I work on documenting my life to meet my personal goals!

She's Crafty

I admit that while I have some natural creative talents they show themselves when they feel like it and I have ZERO power - this week has been a lot of art time with painting wine glasses Tuesday and quilting with my mom Thursday!

This quilt will be for Brian's cousin once it's done - 18 blocks down 46 to go - I have NEVER worked with brown before so it's a whole new experience.

Since we are out of town this weekend I had to pre-plan for the pantry/freezer challenge.  Last night for dinner, my mom and I had egg cups with sausage (from the freezer), then my friend Marche came over and we made a double batch of cake mix cookies so I knocked out two boxes of cake mix and a bag of chocolate chips.  This morning I am having Quaker oatmeal for breakfast from the pantry and I'll grab snacks out of there for Brian and I to eat in Iowa.  Slowly but surely we are starting to make a dent!  

What Are You? Chicken?

The freezer/pantry challenge continues - Brian and I had grilled mesquite chicken (out of the freezer) with sweet potato fries and Brussels sprouts (off the stalk).  I think I have whittled away the chicken in the deep freeze pretty well - hopefully by the end of the year we'll have eaten all the meat and vegetables from the freezer and we'll be ready for thaw and clean in early spring next year!  Before dinner we took the dogs for a nice walk and then got Brian packed for some road time.  It's going to be a CRAZY busy weekend!

Pizza Counts In the Freezer Challenge

Last night was SO busy!  I worked until almost 4, got home, went for a two mile run (not my best or worst) and was surprised at how out of breath I was (mental note, 6 months is too long to take off from regular running) and Brian made a frozen pizza for us.  We had spinach salads and clementines to round out the meal and then I went to wine glass painting class with my friend Tami.  Not too bad for a first try!

Simpson/Central

I made it through the pantry challenge yesterday.  Brian and I feasted on salad and Wacky Mac from the pantry pre-game.

Our drive to Simpson was uneventful and we had dinner at HyVee (our new hot spot) and then went to cheer for the storm.  The kids were fired up and the game was FANTASTIC - until the last 4 seconds when Central scored the winning touchdown.  Our boys were heartbroken, but it was nice to see them fight so hard.  Hopefully their last game on Sunday at Wartburg will have a different outcome!

Time for a Challenge!!!

Since I have been neglecting the blog let me start out by saying that my new job is AWESOME!!!! I love all the challenges and I am often mentally exhausted at the end of the day - which is REALLY good for me! I have also been an excise slacker and there is GOOD food in IT so I have gained 5 pounds since August 11 (my official first day). Now is the time to get the weight off, renew my commitment to training and get the house cleaned up!

 I have decided to do the Run Eat Repeat pile on the miles challenge so I'll have to run 3 days every week - and report it - to make me accountable. I am also planning at least one housework task every single day - in addition to regular cleaning. Over the weekend I went through 4 bags of clothes and got them out of the house.

 The biggest challenge with be the freezer/pantry challenge!!! EVERY day in November I have made a challenge for our house to use up an item in the freezer or pantry (both are completely overstuffed at the moment). Saturday I used up 1 item from the freezer (hamburger) and two items from the pantry (pasta sauce and lasagna noodles) to make Erik's favorite lasagna. Sunday I used 1 can of cream of chicken soup and 1 box of stuffing to make Company is Coming chicken. Since we have an away game tonight for Erik I'm going to pack snacks out of the pantry. While this challenge will surely fill us up with preservatives, it will help to clean out the house and make room for healthy food selections. I chose to do this in November since we will be double hosting Thanksgiving and that will help to get rid of LOTS of cans and jars. Watch for daily updates! Hope you had a happy Halloween and are enjoying other social networking challenges!  Maybe at the end my pantry will look like this?

Chubba Wubba

By the end of last week I was able to shed 4.5 pounds of the vacation weight. Sadly, over the weekend I was left alone with a chocolate zucchini cake and went to a funeral where there were leftover desserts and I gained 3 of the 4.5 pounds back. The weather looks LOVELY this week so I'll have no excuse to not work out! Saturday morning I went for a 4 mile run with my friend Susan - it felt pretty amazing to get out on the trails! After that we spent 6 hours at church for a funeral. It was a long day but the family enjoyed all of the amenities. Sunday morning we all rolled out of bed by 7 (Sleeping in by my clock!)ate a quick breakfast and spent the whole morning on yard chores. We got rid of volunteer trees and an overgrown area in our yard and took out 5 volunteer trees at my mom's, plus a BIG section of morning glory vines. I loved morning glories when I was a kid - as an adult I want to threaten them with the roundup. The afternoon was spent with a variety of errands and housework and I can proudly say ALL the laundry is caught up again - for a day!

I Must Be Missing Something

This week I have been dragging, a lot, and feeling pretty fatigued. While I have been sleeping 6 hours a night (my usual) I have struggled to get out of bed in the morning and have needed a lot of caffeine to keep going. At first I thought it was long shifts but I felt really BAD yesterday after work. Almost like I could have pulled over and gone to sleep in the car. When I got home I decided to start laundry and take my vitamins and by bedtime I felt 40% better and this morning I would say somewhere between 75% and 80%. I am wondering if this is because my nutrition wasn't as good on vacation and I did more running, so it could be a slight iron deficiency. Either way I'll get back to the vitamins! Yesterday after work I made it through housework and mowing at my mom's and got into bed relatively early.

Five More Minutes

I have had SUCH a long week at work with new provider orientation and getting ready to transition into my new job. This morning I really didn't want to get out of bed for another long shift but I made it, even though I forgot to weigh myself and didn't get up the courage to try one of my new outfits. Yesterday I worked until 5:45 (12 hour days are LONG!), made dinner for Erik and I, mowed our house, got lawn mower gas and then did housework and chores until I collapsed into bed at 9:40. My bedtime goal for tonight is 9, we'll see if I can make it. Otherwise I might fall asleep standing up!

Getting Back to Basics

Yesterday I was able to get off a little earlier than expected so I tossed together a batch of cocoa bananas oatmeal, feasted on leftover pizza and then ran some errands with Erik. We finally have groceries again, the Highlander got its oil change and we are trying We B Poppin' Popcorn for the first time. So far it's pretty tasty - I'm planning for a bowl of the half salt tonight. After dinner (Brian grilled turkey burgers) we went to the Y for some lifting and then took the dogs for a walk through the cemetery. It was in the 80s with a cool breeze so a little warm but MUCH better than Monday. It's hard to believe that we only have three weeks with Erik before he goes back to campus so I'm trying to enjoy every minute!

Bad Excuses for Missing a Workout

I have been a slacker the last week, part of it was vacation but I really just need to get back on the horse! While we were in Ely I got in two amazing runs and a couple long walks - but my Fit Bit Report came this morning and I was down 40,000 steps last week and I gained a whopping 8 pounds while we were in the north woods. I have decided not to tackle the Triathlon on August 3. I am undertrained and scared, so I will commit the next several months to training and do a fun event next spring. Yesterday I worked just over 11 hours, made dinner, did laundry, went to the grocery store and got Erik a splint for his Tennis Elbow. After all that I didn't want to lift weights or swim and with a heat index of 105 it was FAR too hot to walk the dogs so I crawled into bed. It is time to suck it up and remember that too hot and too cold can be remedied in the same way - and we have a HUGE basement I can exercise in. Today is a new day and tonight I'll get in some exercise - I always feel better after I sweat and pant a bit!

An AMAZING Week at the Lake

Our week in Ely was AMAZING! Our rainy days happened early in the week. We slept in until 8:10 one morning (that might still sound early to some people but I usually get up at 4:30 so 8:10 is like noon in my world). We tried to pick blueberries but didn't have much success since the "secret" spot has had some environmental changes. The water was SO cold this year - the lake still had ice Memorial Day weekend so the fish were still waking up; the bugs weren't as bad as they usually are and the nights were cold enough for two blankets! We enjoyed LOTS of family time with cribbage, Cards Against Humanity and Apples to Apples and watched the final game of the World Cup with cousins! It was a great week and Brian and I really got to relax since this was our first time in 6 years without homework!

Take a Suit - or Six

Last night I packed running clothes, swimsuits, books and magazines for vacation. I have a LOT of swimsuits right now with preparing for the tri - and the sale that the hospital did last year with $10 suits helped a bunch. I had planned to take 4 swimsuits but at the last minute went with 6. Afterall, it’s a week at the lake! Tonight is going to FLY by with a long to do list and a few too many commitments. Last night Brian's parents brought over pizza for dinner and we had ice cream cake to celebrate his birthday. It was a perfect way to get a celebration in without losing the evening at a restaurant. It also saved time that allowed us to run to Target for a few last minute items.

Long Walk/Short Night

Working open to close every day this week with a miserable cold is wearing me down.... and making me cranky - really cranky, almost too difficult to be around cranky. Last night after work I raced home and threw a frozen pizza in the oven since we have been working hard to eat the leftovers. Then I hacked open a cantaloupe and made some kale chips. After Erik and I ate I took the dogs up to pay the cable bill. We saw three different dogs and they did surprisingly well. Brian had to stay at work late to work on the Highlander. We had something chew on the wiring harness so he and a co-worker stayed late to replace the wiring. Thank goodness we knew someone with experience! After our walk I packed the pantry for vacation and the dog sitters came over. Hopefully we can get through the rest of the last minute stuff tonight and then tomorrow will be packing only.

I HATE Summer Colds

Since I quit smoking in 2008 I RARELY get sick so when a nasty cold comes on it makes me a very cranky bear. We were in a lot of different places and exposed to a LOT of people this weekend so I suspect that is where I picked it up. Last night I thought my head and nose would explode with mucous and this morning I still feel pretty foggy. Hopefully I can do another day with plenty of liquids, Sudafed and ibuprofen and have it kicked before we go on vacation. There is nothing worse than being sick at the lake! Last night after work Erik and I feasted on leftovers, took the dogs for a walk and then I met my friend Tami for a pedicure. I now have lovely purple/pink toes and I was surprised that there is still some bruising from the half marathon - almost 2 months ago. Hopefully that will resolve without me losing any toenails. Before bed I took a shot of Nyquil and had the most interesting dreams about running. Maybe that means I'm ready to start my full training program again!

A Very Busy 4th

I know that it will surprise people that we had a busy 4th of July! Thursday night we enjoyed our time at the Fletcher's and then tried to keep the dogs to a dull roar. Friday morning we got ready to host Brian's parents and grandparents for lunch and my mom and Roger for dinner. It was a day full of grilling but we had a good time. Saturday morning Brian and I rode to the zoo and back in the rain and then mowed all three yards. We were completely exhausted by the end of the day and Sunday was church, laundry, dog washing and cleaning. The dogs went to The Canine Scrub for the first time - the tubs were awesome but they have so much anxiety with other dogs it was pretty challenging. After their baths we slipped to Petsmart to get their nails done and then home for time with the feeder ball. By the end of the afternoon they were like tired toddlers and couldn't stop barking and whining. This week will be SUPER busy getting ready for vacation - and I seem to have caught a summer cold - which is totally unfair. Hopefully it will be over soon!

Rest and Reboot

My right quad has been SORE and tight all week this week so I skipped my usual Wednesday long ride and spent the evening doing laundry, getting a haircut and taking the dogs for a walk through the cemetery. Today I am planning to walk them again and lift weights but I will skip my run. It's hard to believe that 5 years ago today was the first time we slept in our house =) It was on the floor with the TINY 13 inch television and not a lick of furniture but it was a fun and happy night! This weekend is completely booked, but hopefully we'll be able to get to bed early a few times and get things ready so we can go on vacation!

A Beautiful Evening

Yesterday when I (finally) got off work we had the most lovely, and unseasonably cool day. It was in the mid to upper 70's so I quickly hopped on my bike for the quick 6 and then Brian grilled Hawaiian pork chops, a foil pack of zucchini, and fresh pineapple spears while I made rice. After a delicious dinner Brian spread 25 bags of mulch in the flower beds on the front and back of the house and I took the boys for a walk through the cemetery and then helped him with weeding. It was a quick but productive night and now we are closer to being ready for the holiday weekend!