5 Ways I've been succeeding and failing at my own spending challenges

In April, my last post, I wrote about my obscene credit card balance and ways I'd been trying to make that ish GO AWAY.  I had pledged that by July or August I'd have the credit card balance down to or close to $0.

And my result--total fail.

I've gotten it down by a little more than $1k, and mostly it's because I didn't anticipate a few things in my plan.

Plan re-cap:
1. Not shopping anymore.  No clothes. No shoes.
2. Bank account consolidation.  Big guy and I weren't understanding what the other was doing and where money was going to pay for what.  It was confusing and we just didn't handle it.  Now all of our accounts (his, hers, and ours) are at one bank and with only a few weeks of this, it's made everything a lot easier.
3. Tracking spending.  Sounds rudimentary, but to force myself to look at statements, copy down what I spent and where (and the anticipation of having to do this later) is really helpful.
4. When I feel the need to buy something, I've been checking to make sure I don't already have an acceptable alternative.  Especially with clothes that I haven't been able to explore in 5 years, I'm finding that there are things that got shoved to back of the closet that are in great condition and I can wear them again.  It helps that I'm Kon-Marie ing my clothes--if it doesn't bring me joy it goes to someone that will find joy in it.
5. I'm doing my damnedest to use all the leftovers.  For all of us.  I found that even if I'm really good at bringing my lunch, there's one guy in our house that was spending lots of money on lunch ($~50 a week).

Some successes:
1 .Consolidating the bank accounts at one institution is still a thing and has been working well.
2. I've also done okay at tracking my expenses, but I've been referring to my statements more than writing things down (I'm not much of a cash person).

Fails:
1. Not shopping.  Total fail.  Clothes all over the place.
2. Leftovers.  Lots of food waste at our house lately.
3. Take out/ordering in/eating on the fly.

So why the fails?

A bit of an announcement--we're unexpectedly expecting BickerBaby #3.  And since I gave all my larger clothes and maternity clothes away during the spring, I've spent a lot of money buying things that will fit over this large belly.  I've been fortunate that many friends have also been offering their clothes (or my old clothes back), but as we all know, sometimes the things don't fit or aren't your style or aren't existing (T-shirts, I mean you!) when you borrow things from someone else.

Same goes for the Little Lady, in that a lot of her clothes are hand-me-downs, so I've had to fill some gaps for her, too--mainly shorts--and little girls clothes are obscenely expensive.

We also discovered that all of my husband's shorts were literally falling apart, so I bought him a few new pairs and some shirts that didn't have holes/covered his belly. Luckily, Little Man was pretty much all set, but I bought him a new bathing suit (a size too big so he can *hopefully use it again next year, too).

BickerBaby #3 also means I've been dog tired and not feeling well, on top of having the oddest "needs" for certain cuisines.  So meal planning, lunch packing (for me), and creativity with left-overs hasn't been a priority.  Coupled with taking two night classes over the summer, and I'd say we were ordering out for dinner 3 times a week at one point.  The vast majority of spending has gone to take-out/food.

Some good news in all this doldrum:
- I've fallen in with a group of fellow MBA students that is totally keen on book sharing and swapping, so I've saved a few hundred dollars on course materials over the last few months, and will continue to do so in the future.
- My energy and normal appetite have returned, so we've been doing better at cooking/packing/re-using meals.
- I planted a garden, y'all.  And all that awesomeness is finally starting to come to fruition.  Tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers (bell and hot), as well as a ton of herbs are being brought into the kitchen daily so it's helped to off-set our grocery bills and will continue to do so even into the fall and winter (canning, freezing, fingers crossed for an extended growing season).
- People have been supremely generous with giving us gently used baby items.  We literally gave away ALL items suitable for a child from infancy-18 months old, including car seats, strollers, carriers, clothes, boppies, etc. and friends and friends of friends have really heeded the call for "stuff" (once they stop laughing at our news).  So far, we've been lucky enough to get two convertible car seats and an infant seat, a boppie, some clothes, and a bunch of random doo-dads to help usher this child into his or her first months of life.  I've also been terrible at writing the thank you notes...

So some new goals for the next few months:
- Start packing lunches and snacks again.  At least 3 days a week, better if I can do 4.
- Stop buying clothes.  I should be good for fall with the maternity stuff and both the Little Lady and Little Man should be good to go for fall.  I'm praying that the grandparents are as generous with the call for clothes as presents at Christmas this year as they were last year.  It was really awesome, and they smartly bought clothes in the next size up so I know they'll be good through the fall this year.
- Can, freeze, dry, pickle, etc. all I can from the garden until it stops producing.  I'm hoping to keep the grocery bills as low as possible for as long as possible.
- Use what I have already in the freezer.  I KNOW there are a bunch of sausages, kale, peas, chicken parts, etc. that are buried in the bottom of our freezer that I really just need to inventory and use.  Again, helping to off-set the grocery bill, which when paired with take-out (which will hopefully be eliminated) is by FAR our largest expense after mortgage and daycare. 
and finally...
- I pledge to cut down on my visits to Dunkin' Donuts.  It's only $12 a week I spend there, but that's almost $50 a month that I would be putting toward this debt that I couldn't otherwise.

Wish me luck, and let me know your pointers for staying on track.  I obviously know what I NEED to do, but help me do it! 

Lifestyle Changes

A few weeks ago, I noticed something--a 6 digit credit card bill.  For some, this might not be a big deal, but for me (the girl who pays off her credit card in full almost every month and NEVER carries a balance above $1K) this is a huge deal. 

Let's be real here, kids:  I just about lost my shit.

So what happened to get me to that point?  Basically, we moved.  We dumped all of our savings (and checkings) into buying a new home in the burbs.  And it's great!  But now I know why people truly resist moving to the burbs.  It's expensive!

So while I'm not paying city wage tax, my car insurance went down a little, and I'm not driving 40 minutes to go to retail and grocery outlets that looks like a zombie apocalypse was forecasted by Miss Cecily Tynan, I'm paying a whole lot more elsewhere.
1. My mortgage and property taxes.  They went up about 20%
2. Commuting.  That's gone up (for me anyhoo) about 30%
3. Daycare.  That's gone up an astonishing 90%.  Yes, folks, we pay almost double for daycare what we did before.

And to top it all off, now that I'm done carrying, baring, and nursing children, my body has returned to its normal shape and size.  But my 5 year old clothing is either too beat to wear or is too big (yes, I typed big.  I'm one of the lucky ones.) and I've needed to re-invest in some work clothes.

All of this unanticipated expense has forced me to rethink what I'm spending money on, and I've made some lifestyle as a result.
1. Not shopping anymore.  No clothes. No shoes.
2. Bank account consolidation.  Big guy and I weren't understanding what the other was doing and where money was going to pay for what.  It was confusing and we just didn't handle it.  Now all of our accounts (his, hers, and ours) are at one bank and with only a few weeks of this, it's made everything a lot easier.
3. Tracking spending.  Sounds rudimentary, but to force myself to look at statements, copy down what I spent and where (and the anticipation of having to do this later) is really helpful.
4. When I feel the need to buy something, I've been checking to make sure I don't already have an acceptable alternative.  Especially with clothes that I haven't been able to explore in 5 years, I'm finding that there are things that got shoved to back of the closet that are in great condition and I can wear them again.  It helps that I'm Kon-Marie ing my clothes--if it doesn't bring me joy it goes to someone that will find joy in it.
5. I'm doing my damnedest to use all the leftovers.  For all of us.  I found that even if I'm really good at bringing my lunch, there's one guy in our house that was spending lots of money on lunch ($~50 a week).

So, that's my truth serum.  And it will all be back to $0 balance in less than 3 months.  I'm cheap like that.

[Insert not-so-subtle requests from the peanut gallery on ways to not spend]

Whole30 #2: Week 3

Began the week on the cusp of a slip-up (a yummy delicious and worth it slip-up), but I'm back on the wagon!

Day 15: Feeling the sugar hang-over.  Tired, stuffy, dragging.

• Breakfast: Coffee.  I think I had 3 cups!
• Lunch: Work lunch steak salad: grilled steak, romaine, pico de gallo, lots of guac.  I also cheated a little with 2 corn chips as I stared at them longingly for almost 4 hours...
• Dinner: Peer pressure is the worst, and I'm such a sucker.  Definitely had a glass of home-brewed cider from a friend, got wasted off one glass, and then made dinner.

Day 16: Obviously dragging and tired.  Nose still stuffy.

• Breakfast: Coffee.  Again, multiple cups.
• Lunch: Leftover steak salad with avocado (since I ate all the guac at the meeting...)
• Dinner: Spaghetti squash and meatballs (no bread crumbs) with homemade marinara.

Day 17: Feeling better again, but still a little tired.

• Breakfast: Coffee.  I'm really just not hungry in the morning...
• Lunch: Leftover spaghetti squash and meatballs and an apple with almond butter.
• Dinner: Butternut squash burrito bowl.

Day 18: Energy's back. Still tough getting up, but it's not tragic.  Woke up hungry for the first time in about a week. 

• Breakfast: Coffee and a smoothie.
• Lunch: Leftover spaghetti squash and meatballs, and an apple lent to me by a friend.
• Dinner: More squash burrito bowl, with the last of the chipotle chicken, a poached egg, salsa, avocado, cilantro.  A spoon of almond butter as a snack.

Day 19:  Feeling great, except for this cold that came upon me...I also weighed myself and I'm down 7 lbs!

• Breakfast: Coffee.
• Lunch: The last of the squash burrito bowl, with a poached egg, salsa, avocado, and cilantro.
• Dinner:

And then there was a blizzard.

Day 20: Lots of shoveling, some "I earned this" beers, lots of warm things to thaw us.

• Breakfast: Coffee
• Lunch:  6 pepper chili (jalapeno, bell, chipolte, chili, ancho, and cayenne) with ground beef (no beans).
• Dinner:  

Day 21:  I'll be honest, I can't remember...there was more shoveling, and more chili to be sure.

Whole30 #2: Week 2

Better published late than never!

Other than the persistent feeling of exhaustion and the late week crankiness, we're doing good.  Looking for recipe ideas, so please help!

Day 8: Still tired, cranky, but this may be due more to life than diet...WORST. MONDAY. EVER.

• Breakfast:  Coffee and 1/2 a smoothie (the other half ended up in my purse.  See above note regarding temperament).
• Lunch: Work restaurant lunch--salad with grilled chicken, romaine, hard boiled egg, pico, avocado, vinegar (not vinagrette).
• Dinner: Chicken roasted with carrots and parsnips.  A big old spoonful of almond butter
  sprinkled with sea salt.

Day 9: The cranky is finally subsiding.  I was originally up at 5am for no good reason--just done sleeping I guess!

• Breakfast: Coffee.  Lots of coffee.
• Lunch: Leftover chicken, carrots, and parsnips with some arugula; an orange; and a not very ripe at all mango.
• Dinner: Thai red curry with veggies, cod, and avocado.

Day 10:

• Breakfast:  Coffee.
• Lunch: Chicken soup, an apple and some almond butter.
• Dinner: Chicken soup and a skinny taste inspired butternut squash burrito bowl with a poached egg and avocado.

Day 11: Feeling pretty good.  Getting out of bed easily.

• Breakfast: Coffee.
• Lunch: Leftover squash burrito bowl and a grapefruit.  I even poached an egg at work using the microwave!
• Dinner: Chicken soup.

Day 12: Feeling really good, but there's a strong need for coffee.

• Breakfast:  Lots of coffee. 
• Lunch: A weird amalgam of leftovers that I can't really describe.  And an apple with almond butter.
• Dinner: Date night!: King crab legs with strained butter, green beans, and some baked potato with strained butter.

Day 13:  Ski day!

• Breakfast: Coffee 
• Lunch:  Chicken taco salad and a grapefruit.  And a coffee.  I was just feeling the coffee.
• Dinner:

Day 14: Little Man's Birthday!  I was up 645am (everyone else was dead to the world) and got to read quietly for 45 minutes before the little lady got up.  It was awesome!

• Breakfast: Coffee and a smoothie (coconut milk, blueberries, cherries, chia seed, and a Tbsp of almond butter.
• Lunch: Salad and buffalo wings.  It probably had vegetable oil in both, but whatever...I didn't eat pizza.  Or the really awesome Ninja Turtle head cake pops my best friend made.  Or drink wine!  But I did eat chocolate cake...and it was amazing.
• Dinner: Chicken soup--finally killed that batch!

Whole30 #2: Week One

I decided to do another Whole30--luckily I've got a bunch of friends and co-workers to back me up this time.  Pretty much all of us are just trying to eat REALLY well for January since we all ate REALLY poorly during December.

I'm looking forward to feeling a lot better and sleeping better like I did the first time I did it in June 2015.  This time, I'm going to attempt to fully document it, mostly to keep myself accountable and not cheat...

Start date was Jan. 4th.

Day 1: 147 lbs. (Really?  That's 10 pounds heavier than September, the last time I weighed myself and payed it any mind), bloated, probably the worst complexion I've seen since 16, TIRED.  We all joked at lunch at how swollen our fingers were, too, thinking we're probably all OD'd on salt. Mentally feeling pretty okay.

• Breakfast: Coffee with coconut milk. (I found this boxed one which is great for storing in the fridge.  I water it down a little for cooking/smoothies.)
• Lunch: Chicken soup (homemade with mushrooms, carrots, onions, celery), a grapefruit, and 3 slices of apple with almond butter (maybe a teaspoon).
• Dinner:  Sockeye Salmon (ala Alton Brown using olive oil) served on a bed of arugula with a slice of meyer lemon, half an avocado, and roasted asparagus.

Day 2: Tired, but fine.  Wanting wine and chocolate after dinner.

• Breakfast: Coffee again, because I haven't been hungry for breakfast.
• Lunch: Left-overs from dinner the night before without the asparagus, because I ate it all.
• Dinner: Rainbow trout in a coconut red thai curry sauce with sliced bell peppers and mushrooms, avocado, and cilantro.

Day 3:  Woke up HUNGRY, but still feeling okay.

• Breakfast: Coffee and a slice of tortilla espanola, again, made with coconut and olive oils.

• Lunch: Fruit salad at a lunch meeting, because I couldn't eat anything else that was served...
• Dinner: Rib roast with roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes with ghee/clarified butter.

Day 4: Fine.  Weird dreams last night.

• Breakfast: Coffee and a smoothie of a banana, coconut milk, chia seeds, cherries and blueberries (with a little water to make it drinkable).
• Lunch: Leftover rib roast, sweet potato, half a grapefruit, and some apple slices with almond butter.
• Dinner: Chicken-cilantro burger on a bed of arugula with avocado and caramelized onions and mushrooms.

Day 5: Still slow in the mornings, but my energy level is definitely evening out during the day (vs. the peaks and pits of last week on sugar).

• Breakfast: Coffee.
• Lunch: Chicken-cilantro burger on a bed of arugula with avocado and caramelized onions and mushrooms, grapefruit, and some apple slices with almond butter.
• Dinner: Mexican chicken lettuce "tacos" with avocado and cilantro.

Day 6: Slow to get up, but feeling good.  Skied all day and was more stiff than sore that night.

• Breakfast: Coffee, smoothie.
• Lunch: Leftover Mexican chicken lettuce "tacos" with avocado and cilantro.
• Dinner: Stuffed pepper (canned tomatoes, mushrooms, onion, garlic, ground pork and beef mix, topped with basil.

Day 7: Cranky.  So unbelievably cranky. And tired.

• Breakfast: Coffee, smoothie.
• Lunch: Shake Shack double patty no-bun burger with lettuce, tomato, onion and mustard.
• Dinner:  Leftover stuffed pepper.
• Dessert: Sliced banana with almond butter.

Who else is doing a Whole30?  What are you feeling?  What are you eating?

Goals Update: September in Review

The last few months have been pretty hectic, and I feel like we're finally settling into our new life in the suburbs.  Once you move in, there's still more work to be done in getting your schedule together and truly adjusting to a whole new way of doing everything.  And it's finally starting to feel comfortable...and productive!

How am I doing on my goals?  Not too bad!

1. Sew one garment a month: Nothing in September, but I was able to get a lot of my sewing projects lined up and ready to go, including getting my sewing table set-up and ready to go. I cut out another Renfew T-shirt just after Labor Day only to discover that I couldn't find my serger pedal anywhere.  The new one came in the mail last week, so October promises to be a much more productive sewing month.

2. Post an article a month: I posted twice, but neglected an August goals update and an ode to my little Lady who turned one. Meh.
3. Run at least 2 5K races: Signed up for one that happened Oct. 3rd...I'm trying to find another one to do before the fall is over.  Any suggestions?
4. Exercise 3 times a week: Doing a pretty good job of making those 10K steps, and I ran once or twice a week in September to get ready for my October 5K.  
5. Have one date with my husband a month: Thanks to a Nana visit, we went neighborhood bar hopping one night.  I think we were home and in bed b 1030pm, but it was a date and we had fun.
6. Become better at expressing my curiosity, and be more clear in the intent of my curiosity: Following my last post, I've been speaking with some friends and colleagues about how I'm working on this.  I think that by stating my anticipated goal (or that there isn't one) for a conversation has made communication in both social and professional situations more productive and enjoyable.
7. Read 10 books: Finally finished "All the President's Men".  Picked up "The Goldfinch" not realizing it's almost 800 pages...whoops! I think I'll be sorting my GoodReads lists on page count (if that's possible) next time.  5 down, 5 to go and a little under 3 months to do it in.  

Goals Update: Intent is key

On the path to better communication, I've been in search of snippets of wisdom.  This week, one came in the form of a tweet from a man after my heart with his Twitter handle (@recoveringengineer).

Paired with a news spot I heard on NPR on the way into work the same morning, I realized I have been taking my partner, my friends & family, and most likely many of my co-workers for granted when it comes to communication.

Throw in an email chain earlier this week with one of my besties in which we're scheduling an activity to do together on completely different weekends, and I'm going to make a sub-goal #6 on better expressing my curiosity:

I'm going to be more clear in the intent of my curiosity.

Rather than just assuming that those with whom I'm communicating know my goals, I'm going to tell them.  I'm a very process-driven individual, so knowing where we're going before we get in the car is REALLY helpful for me--it'll be interesting to see how this works with others who are less-so.  So here we go:

My intent with this change in communication style is share my ideas in a more succinct and less confusing manner in order to maximize collaboration and good-will while minimizing frustration for all parties concerned.

How do you all communicate effectively? What kinds of "rules" might you have given yourself to become a better communicator?

I'll keep you posted on my progress, so please let me know if this is helping you, too!

Goals Update: I actually RAN!

For months I've been lamenting the fact that I haven't been out running.  With less than 4 weeks to my second 5K of the year, I decided I have to get serious about this.

This morning, I packed away all my excuses and got out of bed at the first alarm (640am) to put on some running tights and go running.

My expectations were pretty low--especially since I was told to take a dog with me--but I'm actually kind of proud of how I did.  With the exception of a brief stop for the previously mentioned dog to use some facilities, I ran the whole time, wasn't winded until the very end, and kept a pretty good pace as I was home in less than 15 minutes.

I was surprised at the amount of outside activity in my neighborhood in the morning, and at how much friendlier people are in the morning vs. the evening, especially since I had a pitbull at my side.  I guess not everyone could stay in bed all day like our family.

If you're looking for some running inspiration, check out my friend's blog, Vito Runs 365.  After a pretty annoying and goal-killing Achilles issue, he's finally up and running again and his enthusiasm is pretty contagious.  Oh, and I'm stealing his run summary...Thanks, Chris!

Day 1: 1.1 miles, 18:41 (Weather: Clear, 56 degrees)

I did a Whole30, and it wasn't awful

A typical breakfast

During the month of June, I went on my first "diet".  For me, it wasn't about losing weight, getting skinny, etc., though those are nice side effects.  Since my Little Lady joined the family, I've just been eating terribly and been feeling pretty strung out.

"But you've got a 10-month old baby!" is what a lot people have said.

But that doesn't mean I should be sustaining myself on caffeine and sugar just to get through the day, I say.  I needed to make a change, just didn't know what it should be.  Luckily, I had two friends who were feeling the same way, and we made a pact to support each other in our quest to just start eating better.  Problem was, we didn't really have a plan on how to eat better yet.

Just after Memorial Day, I read about this thing called the Whole30 on some blog or other.  It seemed trendy (it's all over the interwebs right now) so I was automatically turned off by it.  But, I googled it, checked out their website, and after numerous conversations with a friend who eats in the style of paleo but drinks beer and doesn't completely hate life, I called my ladies and said, "this ish is on!"

The nice thing about June for me was that this is a 30 day program, June has 30 days, and June began on a Monday.  Plus, since we were moving, we weren't traveling to see any family and friends so we'd be home to make dinners and lunches and not relying on take out or road food.

Fish Tacos with Mango Jalapeno Salsa
and Lettuce Wraps

The simple explanation of this way of eating--just eat meat and veggies.  No grains, no dairy, no sweeteners, no beans (including peanuts).

Things learned (or re-affirmed):
-Eggs are pretty much amazing on anything.  Seriously.  On sauteed kale for breakfast, on salads, on burgers, on sausage and greens, whatever.  And poached eggs--holy crap.  Amazing.
-That super full feeling that I relied on to tell me I was done eating isn't necessary.  It was bloat, not being full.  And it was from far too much bread and pasta.
-Having someone to vent to/celebrate with when doing something different like this is key.  I'm not sure if I would have been as successful if I didn't have my two friends doing it with me, sharing our frustrations, fun food finds to keep us "Whole30 compliant", and texting skinny pics back and forth.  Plus, having a really deep bench of supportive co-workers made lunchtime a lot easier.
-I eat pretty well already.  Aside from relying too heavily on grain-based foods to round out my meals before this, I was already making most of my food from scratch, and eating a ton of nuts and fruits and veggies.  Just needed to add some more of that...
-I love butter.  This restricts dairy, but allows clarified butters and ghee.  I have to admit though, butter without its dairy solids is just not as amazing.  Plus, I think I wasted a lot of butter parts, clarifying that ish.



The results?

Work version of breakfast.

- I lost 6 pounds during the month of June (and I had pizza and beer the day we moved on the 24th, so according to the Whole30, I didn't actually do a Whole30).  I've lost another two in the last 10 days by mostly sticking with the plan.
- I'm fitting into clothes I just started fitting back into when I got pregnant with #2 and hadn't really worn since before I got pregnant with #1 4+ years ago.  I'm also not fitting into a lot of things, since they're too big.
- My energy level is MUCH more consistent during the day now that I'm not having bread (read bagels, croissants) for breakfast and eating eggs on greens most days.
- I've stopped using moisturizer.  I think because I'm eating more fats and oils, my skin is as dry as it was.  And it's just as clear if not clearer as before.
- My teeth are whiter.  I had some staining kind of in between some of the teeth, and that's pretty much gone away.
- I've lost the hanger.  Amazing, I know.  After a hard first week on my body (and my mind) adjusting to life without all that sugar, and figuring out how much and when to eat, I'm not having those energy crashes that result in pure, unadulterated, ravenously, angry hunger acts.
- My husband has lost weight.  He wasn't completely on board with the plan ("I'll eat what gets put in front of me."), but I've noticed his belly is smaller and his pants are looser on him.

We're continuing this lack of grains in our daily lives, but I must say, I'm glad to be able to drink beer again.

I'm curious to hear about how others have found ways to eat a bit healthier.  Let me know 

Almost a month late and always a dollar short...

Now that it's almost May, I finally have time to update you on my progress from March.  My, how time flies when you're having fun (and squashing some goals)!

Goals re-cap:

Just another snow day out fit from the Little Man

1. Sew one garment a month
2. Post an article a month
3. Run at least 2 5K races
4. Exercise 3 times a week
5. Have one date with my husband a month
6. Become better at expressing my curiosity.
7. Read 10 books

And my progress?
1.  I didn't sew anything, as I packed up all of my sewing stuff and put it into storage (more to come on that topic)
2. I actually posted 2 articles in March (cookies and a minor rant), and started writing a 3rd (which I'm hoping to finish this week so I can meet my April goal).
3. & 4. I actually ran a few times to train for the Temple Alumni Weekend race and did an okay job of meeting or exceeding the 10K steps each day that FitBit deems necessary.
5. We actually went on a date--to my husband's fraternity's anniversary gala.  It was the first time we've left the Little Lady with our babysitter and we had a great time.  And I still fit into the same dress I wore to the last fraternity formal I went to in (2004 or 5 with the help of some spanx), so it was an overall win of an evening.
6. I feel like I'm doing a great job of this at work and in professional situations, but not so much in my personal life.  Might be time to find a Ted Talk or something on the matter...
7. The book that won't die: Songs in Ordinary Time.  I've even been keeping the book that's next in the queue on my desk so that I have to look at it all the time to remind me, have kept to my self-imposed 15 minutes or more of reading this damn book every day, and still it won't end...

April is another month, which I'll be reporting on shortly.  Some highlights to come?
- TU Alumni Weekend 5K
- A great exercise in stress to force me into more poignantly expressed curiosity

Breakfast Cookies

Coming back from vacation, I realized that I had gained 8 lbs.  In one week, I gained 8 lbs.  The same week I had a crazy stomach bug during which I purged an entire day's worth of food. 8 lbs!

Since I'm not a diet/salad/deprive myself kind of girl, I was super excited to see breakfast cookies in my Bloglovin' feed last week from Ambitious Kitchen.  And not because I ever planned on eating these for breakfast (though it's a pretty awesome idea), but because I need to take the ravenous 545pm beast that tries to wrangle ninos, start dinner, and pick up the morning's mayhem while keeping the hanger at bay. 

Yes, I get hangry.  If I'm cranky, please offer me food.  I'll be much nicer to you.

Back to the cookies...


Here's the link to the recipe.

Before Baking

Some notes for making the cookies:
- Cool down the nuts before incorporating the other ingredients (my chocolate chips melted)
- The "batter" doesn't really hold together too well when forming the cookies
- They look super ugly on the cookie sheet out of the oven.  Don't be scared
- Cherries are a better idea than cranberries.  It's just better.

Right Out of the Oven

Some notes on eating:
- Crumbly.  Messy.  Don't eat this in front of people you're trying to impress or in bed.
- Let them sit for a couple days in a ziplock bag or container.  It helps with the messy factor a bit.

You could probably make these vegan by using a banana in lieu of an egg.

I will be making these again.  It's a, easy to make, great recipe and mostly guilt-free. 

And they're delicious.

Yum

It takes a village, but I'm the mayor...

It occurs to me that everyone has a parenting philosophy--even those without children.  And that's fine, but please remember this one thing:

Mom is always the mayor of village in which her children reside.

This doesn't mean that Dad isn't Deputy Mayor, taking over the reigns on a very frequent basis to cover important issues that Mayor isn't able to handle.  Personally, I'm so glad that he does! 

But that peanut gallery has just got to pipe down.

There are a few reasons for this:
1. It's really just rude.
2. You're confusing my kids.
3. Your interventions are likely counterproductive to what we're trying to achieve as parents.
4. Kids are smart and know how to achieve their goals (and get around Mom and Dad if they can).


I'm very grateful for the support we get from family and friends, and frankly I don't think that we would be successful parents without it.  But support means backing us up, and not making rumblings under your breath or flat out disagreeing with me in front of my child.

I know I'm not the only one out there with this gripe.  How do you deal with the peanut gallery?

February Goals Progress

As you sit on pins and needles, wanting to know how I've been doing on my goals, let's re-cap what they are exactly:

Successful Nap Time

1. Sew one garment a month
2. Post an article a month
3. Run at least 2 5K races
4. Exercise 3 times a week
5. Have one date with my husband a month
6. Become better at expressing my curiosity. (I seem to engage people in a way that they think I'm questioning them vs. inquiring things about them.)
7. Read 10 books

So, how'd I do in February?  Honestly, not so hot.
I didn't sew a GD thing
My only February posting was my last update
I haven't run at all (unless you count chasing Little Man)
My ski vacation turned into an "everyone is sick" cation
We did manage to have a family date for Valentine's Day which was really nice at the Franklin Institute, though this goal was achieved mostly by my loving husband and I cannot take credit for it.
I did reassess myself using the DISC model, which helps to zero in on my communication styles and gives some easy leads on identifying those of others (and what motivates them and/or decentivizes them).
This freaking book "In Ordinary Time" just won't finish.  I've got 250 pages to go, which means I've finally made it to the 2/3 mark after seriously 6 months of trying to read it.  And I've been reading it.

Something fun I did accomplish that's not part of the list--I finished listening to the Serial podcast.  Such a good story, and a real life "Who-Dun-It" caper.  If you haven't listened to it yet, go to NPR.org and find their pod casts section.  It's worth it.  I promise.

Goals Update

For those of you not glued to my blog (and why aren't you?), I came up with a few goals I wanted to accomplish in 2015:
1. Sew one garment a month
2. Post an article a month
3. Run at least 2 5K races
4. Exercise 3 times a week
5. Have one date with my husband a month
6. Become better at expressing my curiosity. (I seem to engage people in a way that they think I'm questioning them vs. inquiring things about them.)
7. Read 10 books

My thinking is that if I put these goals out into the world, I might be held a bit more accountable for them--basically shaming myself into getting them done.  So how did I do in January?

1. Sew one garment a month--Nope
- I didn't sew a darn thing.  I really didn't have much time last month to wash clothes, let alone create new ones.

2. Post an article a month--Yup!

I deserve at least one gold star...

- I posted two!

3. Run at least 2 5K races--Getting there
- As previously mentioned, I'm already signed up for one in April, with the second likely to happen in the fall.

4. Exercise 3 times a week--Getting there
- I've been teaching (skiing) on weekends, so I'm spending a lot of time running around on snow.  If I could fit in one gym session during the week, I think I'd be meeting this goal completely.  I'm also committed to getting as close to the 10K steps as I can (thank you FitBit for my new random obsession), so I'm walking a lot more and taking the stairs even more than usual.  I also realized this weekend that my arm muscles have definition for the first time in about 4 years, so I'm pretty excited about that.

5. Have one date with my husband a month--Yup!
- We had an in-home sushi date for our anniversary with the kids last week.  It was sweet and frankly probably as much of a date night as either of us have the energy to muster up right now.

6. Become better at expressing my curiosity--Getting there
- I've had discussions with people about this, and while I feel kind of stuck in qualifying/justifying my actions to others, I'm seeing this as a first step.  Oh the plight of the outgoing introvert...

7. Read 10 books--Getting there
- I've definitely been reading.  But thanks to Mary McGarry Morris, I'm stuck on the same book I've been reading (3+ hours a week) since August.  My upcoming business trip to SoCal should afford me some time to finish that book so I can move onto my next.

I'm actually pretty impressed with myself given how hectic life was in January.  I don't anticipate a lot of calming to happen in February, but knowing that I can get about 2/3 of the way there keeps my spirits high and is pretty motivating, actually.

Wish me luck this month!

Goals for 2015

I usually hate it when people talk about New Year's resolutions.  Don't "resolve" to do something, just do it.  Yoda said so himself--there is only do.  I like the term goals, and I'm making a blog post about mine--mostly to keep me accountable, but to also give me a format for tracking my progress.

1. Sew one garment a month
2. Post an article a month
3. Run at least 2 5K races (I've already been suckered into one in April)--and not walk in either
4. Exercise 3 times a week (run or use eliptical at home)
5. Have one date with my husband a month
6. Become better at expressing my curiosity. (I seem to engage people in a way that they think I'm questioning them vs. inquiring things about them.)
7. Read 10 books

So far, I've already accomplished #2 & #5, and have made progress toward #6 & #7.   #4 begets #3, so I'll have to start working on those, though I have made a point of keeping to that 10K steps a day thing that seems so important.  And #1 really depends on a synchronized nap time on a weekend I think. 

We'll see!  Go 2015!

Week 40: Almost ready to meet #2!

I'm not emotionally good at being pregnant.  I LOVE being a mother--it's a lot of fun and a responsibility I take very seriously.  But I HATE being pregnant.  Seriously.  I don't glow or glimmer, or feel anything but awkward and out of place.  But pregnancy is cheaper than buying one, and a much more sure thing than just finding one on the side of the road, so here I am.

As I enter my 40th week of pregnancy with lucky #2, I keep thinking of things I'm looking forward to doing/being once I'm not pregnant anymore.  So here's my list, and it will not include anything baby-related...
1. Getting off the couch unassisted.  Even Little Man has had to help me a few times...
2. Sleeping on my back or my stomach--anything but on my side(s).
3. Being able to see my lady parts. (I never realized how much it would bother me to not be able to see a part of my body I'm used to seeing.)
4. Weeding my garden. Haven't you wondered why I haven't posted any photos this year?  It's not because it's not there...I'm completely embarrassed by my messy garden right now.
5. Spooning my husband.  He can spoon me, but I can't spoon him.
6. Cleaning my bathtub. 
7. Giving my dogs a bath (likely before I clean the bathtub).
8. Drinking.  I miss drinking a whole drink.  And I miss drinking a sip of a drink without getting weird looks from people everywhere.
9. Eating funky, unpasteurized cheeses.
10. A lack of heartburn.
11.  Eight weeks of unabashed lounging (obviously with my new friend).
12.  Being able to put Little Man to bed--haven't been able to do that for a few months now since I can't really hold him for long or bend down to put him in bed.
13. Being able to travel.  Right now with all this extra weight (and ligament stretching hormones) I can't sit in the car for more than an hour at a clip.  I'm looking forward to seeing people again!
14.  Walking/standing/sitting/leaning/laying in one position for more than 15 minutes at a clip.  Especially the walking part.  I'm so lame I can't even take the dogs out around the block right now...
15. Making dinner.  I'm averaging two meals a week right now--super lame.
16. Wearing normal clothes.  I fit into about 5 outfits right now.  And I'm sick of wearing them.
17. That few days post-pregnancy lightness--since I'll be instantly about 25 pounds lighter, I'll feel like I'm floating for a few days.

I can't wait!

I miss making things!

Man, I never thought I'd be so out of touch with my own blog.  I've never been a super-regular journaling kind of gal (even when I had an actual diary with a lock and key that I really just drew on--not in), but the last few months (roughly 7, actually) have probably been the most unproductive of my life externally.

Since January, I've stopped my personal chef-ery business, haven't sewn a darn thing (except a rogue bra strap and hook & eye clasp repair on said bra), haven't brewed a single beer, have knitted or crocheted exactly nothing, and barely have the energy to make dinner most nights.  I've planted exactly 4 tomato plants in my garden, and put together a really cute herb garden in a strawberry pot--that's it.

Internally, I'm sustaining an expectant life.  "#2" as we affectionately call him or her is due, ironically, Labor Day weekend.  As he/she/it is literally sucking the energy right out of me, I do a lot of "supervising".  I'm lucky to have an actually helpful 2 1/2 year old and an understanding husband...

But even though I spend most of my days dreaming about making things and plotting what I might be able to make while on maternity leave, I am lucky enough to be reading a ton lately.  In addition to voraciously reading my National Geographics each month, finally catching up on my SKI and 32 degrees magazines (ironic since there's no snow and I'm really not fit to ski), I've re-discovered the awesomeness that "Leisure Reading" section at Temple University's library which is awesomely situated across the street from my office.

If you're interested in keeping up with what I'm reading or suggesting a new book, please link up!  I hate walking blindly into a book without a recommendation and I'm game to read anything.  I'm 99% sure this is my profile.

Until I'm game for making again, here are my current craft-crushes:
The Cutest Darn Thing to entertain your toddler on Two-Many
I need to have this skirt but am too lazy to make it, but I still really want to buy the pattern
Signs I may miss drinking a bit too much

I hope to have more fodder to share with you all soon, but it may just be musings on what I plan to brew for my post-baby hospital bed celebration...I'm excited about that!

My best creation to date

The official b-day pic

Sunday was a big milestone in our house--Little Man turned two.  And since I've never actually recounted any of the story of his birth (not even in a baby book I'm a bit ashamed to admit), I figured I'd do it now.  He deserves it!

My due date was January 13th--a Friday, which really made your Grampa nervous.  I worked until you came, and was planning for the 13th to be my last day at work.  But you had other plans.

On January 11th, after a long day of some last-minute projects your father and I needed to get done (we were re-wiring the 3rd floor so Nana had a place to sleep when she came to visit), I finally made my way to bed around 1130pm while your father finally ate dinner and watched South Park downstairs before he came up.  I washed up, got changed, and I think I may have even laid out clothes for the next day at work (it's not hard when only about 3 things you own still fit).  I then went over to the bed, picked up my leg to get in, and...my water broke.

The three of us at our baby shower in Nov. 2011

At first I thought I peed myself, but I soon realized what was going on and called down to your father.  (p.s. thank Jeebus a co-worker had convinced me to sleep on a towel for the last week or I probably would have ruined our mattress). I asked him to meet me in the bathroom with my phone so I could call the doctor, and then sent him back downstairs to finish eating.  As suspected, the doctor on call told us to come in, but since I was pretty comfortable, I read the Farmer's Almanac until your father came back to check on me.

He may have fallen asleep on the couch (though he'll never admit to it) because I was in the bathroom for a WHILE, when I decided to call him to see what the deal was. Your father came upstairs, helped me get cleaned up, dressed, and packed (no I hadn't finished packing for myself though your bag was good to go), and off we went.  Since we wanted it to be only us at the hospital, we didn't call Nana or Gramma or Pap or Grampa--I sent a smiley text message to Aunt Manoshi and Auntie.

On the way to hospital, we stopped at Dunkin' Donuts--your father was in desperate need of caffeine and I knew they weren't going to let me eat once we checked in.  It was the most glorious egg and butter on an everything bagel sandwich I can remember, all washed down with a hot chocolate.  Oddly enough, once I started eating, I started feeling the contractions for the first time--nothing huge or painful yet but a bit uncomfortable.

When we finally got to the hospital around 2am, the duty nurse said she was just about to call me back--they thought something might have happened since we arrived more than two hours after my initial call...but we had to eat, right?

The labor nurse I started out with was not the most pleasant person in the world, and to be frank, I felt really pressured to start taking labor inducing and pain numbing medications--both of which I didn't want to start until I really had to.  The only response that seemed to quell the resident on duty was that I wanted to wait until my doctor came on to make any decisions.

Mommy was on vicodin

Daylight changes everything, including shifts at a hospital and the strength of contractions.  By the time my doctor got in, I was laboring moderately but apparently not making a lot of progress.  Since my water had been broken for about twelve hours, I decided to let them give me pitocin and demanded that they give me an epidural if they were going to give me pitocin.  It was pretty rough trying to manage staying still for the epidural during some strong contractions, but we did it. 

I 'm glad we did.  After the medicine kicked in, your father and I settled in, relaxed and watched Indiana Jones for a few hours.  The doctor even stopped by a few times to ask us where we were at in the movie--I guess he's a fan.

Just before two o'clock, the doctor and labor nurse, Ella (who happened to know a work friend of mine) told me it was time to start pushing, and push I did.  About twenty minutes later, you came into the world, all slimy and off-color, and fairly odd-looking.  But we were so relieved to finally meet you.

1 day old

We hadn't found out if you were a boy or girl before you were born, and frankly it didn't matter much once you were here.  It mattered so little in fact, that the doctor and nurses had to remind us to check!

You were born at 2:21 PM on Thursday Jan. 12, 2012 weighing in at 7 lbs. 2 oz. and 19 inches long.  We named you Michael for your grandfathers (Pap and Grampa are both named Michael) and Michael Jacob for your  Grampa, Great Grampa, and Great-Great Grampa who are/were all MJ
Hamm.

You went home in a Flyers onesie, and watched your first Flyers game about 2 minutes after you got home.  The dogs (Pearl & Bob) were instantly taken with you.  The cat took a while to warm up, but now he's probably your best friend.

laurelharrishphotography.com

Happy birthday, buddy.

Knitted Hat--Re-do!

If you remember, last December I made this hat and posted about it. I posted about the process of making it here as well.

There were a lot of things I didn't like about it--the pattern (being my first attempt at using a chart rather than written pattern) was difficult to follow, the headband was much too big for my head, and I ended up with a cone head at the top of the hat.  But the cabling pattern was so lovely that I needed to make it again and fix those problems.

A note about this post: I'm glad I printed the pattern out last year and kept it.  While looking for the pattern electronically for this update post, I realized the pattern link is actually dead.  It seems that Sarai, the owner of www.sweetsassafras.org (the site from which I found the orginal pattern), has rolled her old blog into the blog for Colette Patterns, a fairly amazing collection of sewing patterns that she owns.

I must say that the second time using a chart was MUCH easier than the first.  I know how to read a 

chart now, so the stress of not having to look up tutorials and you tube videos on the whole process made it go much more smoothly.

The original pattern called from size 5 needles for the headband, and 6 for the hat-at-large.  I went with size 3 for the headband, and continued using a 6 for the hat.  It is definitely a better fit, but I may go down to a size 2 for the head band if I do this hat again--it seems to migrate down my forehead more than I would like.  

I also used a very inexpensive yarn for this one--Red Heart (~$2 skein) as opposed to the 100% cotton, hand-dyed yarn I used last time (~$12 skein).  I found it blocked better, and I can wash it with the rest of my laundry if I need to.

The plan is to make at least one of these for a Christmas present.  My mother requested one over Thanksgiving weekend, so I best get knitting!

Summer Re-cap

I hate bloggers who apologize for not keeping up with their blogs--because blog readers are just glued to their computers waiting for us all to share what we had for dinner, the cute outfit we spent hours laboring over for our kid who messed it up 2 minutes after the photos were taken, or finding out what fun picture frame we fashioned into a completely useless piece of wall "art".

So, I'm not apologizing for not posting anything for almost 6 months--I have a life.  But, I've missed cataloging what I've been up to, so I thought I would do a bit of a photo montage that explains what I've been up to over the last six months.  Enjoy!

Garden:

We finally had a strawberry this year!  It rained a lot, my tomatoes are coming in like crazy (still), I built a vertical planter for sweet potatoes (that died) that seems very well suited for cucumbers, pesto: the elixir of pasta, a squash plant I started from seed and hydrangea. 

Kiddo:

 

Helping me make cinnamon buns with his friend one morning.

 

And thankfully, we had a lot of beach & lake time this summer.

Cooking:

 

I discovered the olive bar at Wegmans's; Mac n Cheese, grilled lamb leg, avocado pasta, pierogies with chorizo(!), the book that started it all, cold-brewed coffee (a revelation), we made baked beans from scratch, this crazy watermelon rum drink with limes and cilantro, Heizenberg special rock candy (just a touch of chili p yo), and the most beautiful fritatta I've ever made.

Beer/Liquor Drinks:

A small sampling what I've been drinking this summer.  Lots of ales and saisons, now transitioning into festbiers and porters.  I haven't brewed since probably Februrary, but I'm enjoying what others are making immensely!

The chill of fall has also reignited the bourbon (me) vs. scotch (my husband) debate in our house.  Here's a fun maple mint julep I made--it's actually better without the ice cubes to take that chill off your bones.

If you have any questions about what I have up here, just ask!  It may make its way into a full blog post one day!