Don’t be afraid to try something new!

Earlier this fall, I had wrapped up a workout program and was trying to decide what to try next.

During my search, I came across a 30-day 5k running program. Some background – I have never been a runner. In high school, I went out for track my senior year only because my classmates said that going to the meets was fun. I had run a handful of 5k races over the last decade as part of fundraisers, but then hurt like heck for days after. Did I really want to start a program that would require me to run on a regular basis?

I finally decided that, since two oldest kiddos were participating in Cross Country this fall, I’d throw my hat in the ring. At the very least, it’d be nice to get outside for workouts while the weather was still decent.

After a month of alternating running and strength training workouts, the time had come to run a 5k. I wasn’t so sure that I was ready – the prior workouts had gone well but the longest I had ever run was 2.25 miles and that usually involved intervals (with recovery periods). Could I really run 3.11 miles without having to stop?

Despite all the doubts running through my head, I ran my 5k and beat my prior best time (that’s called a PR in the running world) by a solid 6 minutes. Was I tired? Yep. Did I think about walking once or twice? Yep. But I didn’t – I ran the whole time and, surprisingly, did not feel like I was going to die. I wasn’t sore and was able to go about my day normally afterwards.

In the couple of months since my 5k, I’ve continued sneaking in runs on days when the weather is conducive to do so. I bought shoes specifically for running and even went as far as to purchase a phone app to track time/mile pace for all my runs. It honestly shocks me to say this, but I find myself looking forward to getting out for a run.

Moral of the story – don’t sell yourself short. Try new things. You just may surprise yourself as far as what you can do!

Fall into Wellness

Fall is great for many reasons – cooler weather, fall foliage, football, and pumpkin spice everything. For many of us, fall also requires getting back into a routine that went by the wayside during the summer. To follow are a few suggestions of how to do just that:

• Eating
  • Make Changes to your Diet: Summer vacations, neighborhood parties, and evenings on the deck can often mean indulging in both food and drink. To get back on track, focus on making small changes and being consistent. Start with something simple and achievable. Build a strong foundation and add new habits once another is mastered.Hydrate: The heat of summer, combined with consuming alcohol and salty foods, can lead to dehydration. Rehydrating can be done via drinking water (per the Mayo Clinic recommendation – 3.7 liters/day for men and 2.7 liters/day) as well eating hydrating foods such as cucumber, romaine lettuce, celery, and fruit.
  
  
  • Cook at Home and Meal Prep: Cooking at home usually results in healthier meals and not overeating. And, if you make a little extra, you can have a few of your lunches prepped for the week as well.  Another tip – make a menu for the week and then do your grocery shopping based on that. This will ensure that you have all the necessary ingredients for your meal and take out the guesswork of what to cook for lunch/supper!
    
    
• Exercise
  • Take it Slow and Steady: If your workout routine evaporated over the summer, don’t stress about getting back to “normal” immediately. It’ll be easier on your body and mind to ease back into exercising. Like with your diet, start small and simple and build from there.Try Something New: Introduce a new piece of equipment or switch up your workout. This can help make your workouts more exciting and challenging.
  
  
  • Go Outside – Take advantage of the fresh air before the snow flies! There are multiple ways to be active while being outside – golfing, hiking, biking, and walking are just a few options. And an added benefit – most can be done with a friend or family member.
    
    
• Productivity
  • Make Goals: Don’t wait for January 1 – you still have four months left in 2023. Think about what you’d like to accomplish before the end of the year and break the goals down into smaller parts. Put goal dates on your calendar and get started.
  
  
  • Set a Bedtime: Better sleep equals better productivity. Take advantage of the longer nights and go to bed earlier.
    

Making even a few of the changes mentioned above should help you get back into the swing of things after summer. Good luck and be sure to enjoy all the fall season has to offer as winter will be here before we know it….

Get Motivated!

Are you a type of person that:

• Sets your alarm earlier so you can get a running start on your day?
• Writes up a to-do list and then actually completes everything on that list?
• Gets excited about goals you set and consistently works towards accomplishing them?

If so, congratulations! If not, please join me (and millions of others) in the Lack of Motivation Club.

The definition of motivation is: the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way; the general desire or willingness of someone to do something. Becoming (and staying) motivated can be a struggle for a plethora of reasons. Read below for ideas on why your motivation may be lacking, and ideas on how you can make changes to get yourself in a better place.

1. Lack of a clear outcome/goal:  If you do not know where your target is, it can be hard to hit! Set some clear, exciting goals for yourself (physical/financial/emotional/spiritual) and write them down to make them more real.
2. You have always been unmotivated: Being unmotivated is not out of your control. Motivation is a mindset – decide to be a motivated person and will it into reality.
3. Your goals are generic: If you set your sights high, you will try harder to achieve your ultimate goal. Push yourself to achieve great things. You will feel empowered and energized!
4. It is all too much: If you have a ton of balls in the air, it is pretty easy to drop one (or three). Try focusing on one big goal at a time rather than trying to do a ton of things all at once. Also, remind yourself of your “why.” Often, that will be enough to push you through hard times.
5. Procrastination: Do you have a huge project that will take days/weeks, but currently you only have a few hours to spare? Instead of pushing it to the back burner (again), think about how you can break the project down into smaller tasks. That will usually be enough to formulate a plan of attack and boom – there is your motivation!
6. It is not motivation – it is a habit: The simplest way to create a new habit is to write a plan, stating what you will do and why. Let’s say you decide that you will get up at 5:30am (1 hour earlier than normal) to workout. Those first few weeks will be a test of your motivation but eventually, waking up early to exercise will become a habit.
7. Ask for help: Tell a friend or family member about your goal. Having others know about a goal can make it feel more real, and you will probably try a little harder since you know they will eventually ask you how things are going.

Do one of the items above sound like something you grapple with in your own life? The biggest issue for me is procrastination. As a mom of four that works outside the home, I don’t often have large blocks of time available. I think to myself – “I can’t finish the project in ½ hour, so why even bother starting?” Instead of pushing things off until the magical day that I don’t have anything else going on, I’m going to instead think about how I can break the project down into more manageable parts. I’ll let you know how that goes….

Exercise While Enjoying the Outdoors

The official start of summer is nearly here, which is a welcome occurrence as I live in the upper Midwest, where fall and spring barely exist and winter starts early and hangs on forever.

Every summer, I make a deal with myself to do as much as I can outside, as I know the days of good weather are numbered. Since I’m the ultimate multi-tasker, I’m always on the lookout for ways to get exercise while also enjoying the great outdoors. Read on for a few ideas on how to do just that:

• Biking – This is a great option as you can bike alone or with others, visiting and taking in scenery along the way.
• Kayaking/canoeing – Assuming you have options in your area to get out on the water, paddling/rowing is a great workout. Again, you can do this solo or with a friend, so it can double as a social outing as well.
• Playing a favorite childhood game – Gather a small group of family members or neighbors together for a friendly game of kickball, capture the flag or anything else that your heart desires.
• Boating – Do you own a boat, or know someone that does? Head to the river/lake/ocean and try your hand at skiing or wakeboarding. Or, if that’s a bit above your pay grade, you can always try tubing. I’m usually plenty sore after that as well, so I’m guessing it’s some sort of a workout?!
• Gardening/Yard work – While not overly glamorous, yard work is a great way to burn calories. Mowing the lawn, working in the garden or on your landscaping qualifies as exercise, and who doesn’t love a fantastic looking yard?
• Hiking – Do you have any state parks in your area? If so, get out and explore them! Hiking is a great workout, and the fresh air and nature views aren’t bad either.
• Playing with your kids – Kids tend to have just one speed, so keeping up with them can definitely be classified as exercise. Whether you play catch, run through the sprinkler or just walk along as they ride their bike or scooter, you can burn calories while giving your kiddos much-craved attention.
• Golfing – Golfing is a full body workout, as you use both your arms and legs when you swing. And, if you are feeling ambitious, crank things up a notch by ditching the cart and walking.
• Walking – Have just a few minutes to spare? Put on your sneakers and go for a walk around the block. Even just a few minutes of walking can be great to clear your head, improve your mood, and give you an energy boost.

This is most likely only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to ideas of ways to enjoy the outdoors in summer. Feel free to share yours in the comments below.

To quote Charles Bowden, “Summer time is always the best of what might be.” Don’t let these days pass you by – get out there and enjoy!

It’s Time for Spring Cleaning – Your Health!

After the long winter many of us have had, I think it’s easy to assume that we are all more than ready for spring. Spring usually signals warmer weather, baseball, gardening and, for some, spring cleaning. In this blog, I’m going to focus on ways you can spring clean your health.

• Incorporate in-season, locally-grown produce into your diet – Whether you grow your own or buy from a Farmers’ Market, this is a great way to eat healthier and save money too.
• Schedule health screenings/doctor appointments – Whether the appointments are for you or your family members, make a point this spring to schedule those wellness visits.
• Go outside – Now that the weather is finally shaping up, be sure to take time to enjoy it! It doesn’t matter the form of the exercise – walking, biking or jogging all apply.
• De-clutter your medicine cabinet – The first to go is anything that’s expired. Second, dispose of any medicine that smells bad or looks off. Don’t forget – prescription meds often shouldn’t be tossed. Here is a link to the DEA database to find a drop off location in your area.
• Learn how to de-stress – Meditation is a great way to de-stress. If, like me, you can’t exactly block off a large chunk of time to get this done, taking a few minutes here and there to meditate works just as well. Meditation is basically taking deep breath, holding it for a just a bit, and then slowly releasing it.
• Combat allergies in your home –Washing all bed linens and blankets, as well as wiping down all smooth surfaces (especially fan blades and window blinds) can help cut down on dust mites – a major culprit for allergies. Replacing your furnace filter can help as well.
• Toss old makeup – If you’ve had that lipstick/blush/etc. for more than one year, it’s probably time for it to go.
• Check your workout shoes – The cushioning in your shoes, especially in the heel area, eventually wears out. Check your shoes to make sure they are still in good condition – you don’t want to be sidelined by sore feet!
• Clean out your Inbox – This may seem extremely overwhelming, but, if you take on the task in small chunks, is totally doable. Decide on a process that works best for you and implement it.

Most importantly – take a minute to enjoy the beauty that spring brings. The grass is greening up, the trees are budding, the tulips are coming up – it doesn’t get much better than this!

 

 

Meal Planning = Winning

After my husband & I first got married, meal times were a major point of contention. We’d get home from long days at work, and banter back and forth about what to make for lunch/supper. After finally agreeing to something, we go to the fridge/freezer/pantry only to discover that we didn’t have the necessary ingredients. It’s a miracle our marriage survived infancy! 😉

Fast forward a few years, and we are now a family of 6 and have a much better system in place. On Friday night or Saturday morning, I sit down and make a meal plan for the week. And then, from that meal plan, I make our shopping list. Now, this meal plan isn’t set in stone. Sometimes things come up and we have to switch meals to a different night or they get skipped altogether! But, it sure is nice to not have to come up with a meal on the fly and then hope I have the ingredients on hand.

If this sounds like something you’d like to try at home, here are a few tips to get started:

• Ask your partner/family/roommates what they like to eat – I try to stick to meals that the majority of the family will eat, while also planning a decent variety throughout the week.
• Check the weather – If it’s going to be 90 degrees outside, you don’t want to make something that requires running the oven for 2 hours!
• Start a calendar – I have a notebook that contains our current week’s menu as well as prior weeks’ menus. This is a great tool when I’m struggling with meal ideas.
• Implement a theme night – Some possibilities would be Pasta Night, Fish Night or Mexican Night. This approach gives you less holes to fill when creating your plan for the week.
• Choose a shopping day and make a grocery list – Look at your menu and make your shopping list from that. This approach ensures you have what you need on hand for all of your planned meals.
• Check what’s on sale – Go through your grocery store’s sale flyer prior to making your menu for the week. It’s a great way to come up with meal ideas and help you save a few dollars too!
• Keep a well-stocked pantry – My husband does our shopping 70% of the time, and does a great job with keeping the pantry/freezer stocked. I, on the other hand, could improve in this area. I tend to focus on just what’s needed for that week’s meals, which sometimes leads to issues. It’s pretty hard to cook meals when you are out of oil/butter/spices!

Besides avoiding the chaos of not knowing what to make, there are other perks to meal planning. First of all, your grocery bill should go down. Assuming you stick to your grocery list (which was made from your meal plan), you shouldn’t have as many impulse buys. Next, if you plan your meals accordingly, you should have leftovers to eat during the workweek. I try to schedule my leftover producing meals early in the week so I have plenty of options as far as what to take to work for lunch. Or, I freeze leftovers in single serving containers so packing my lunch is quick and easy!

Meal planning has been a huge blessing to our household. The kids appreciate knowing in advance what’s for lunch/supper and I like being able to jump right into meal prep without having to think about it. I hope you’ll consider trying something similar at your home as well.

Sick kiddos vs. work

Early October is wayyyyy to early to be dealing with sick kids.

My 3-year-old, unfortunately, was the first one to fall victim to “the virus.” It started as sniffles and then progressed from there – low-grade fever, awful cough and overall misery. I kept her home 2 days and then eased her back into daycare.

Fast forward a couple of days, and my 10-year-old starts complaining about having a headache and his stomach hurting. The next day, my 7-year-old falls victim. We keep both boys home from school two days, and the next day the younger one goes to school while the older one sleeps away half the day at home.

My husband was able to cover one of the five days, while I covered the other four. To get paid for all 4 days, I’d need 32 hours of PTO. I had 12 hours to my name. Luckily, my employer is very understanding of my situation and I can take that time unpaid.

But even with that flexibility, missing that time is hard mentally. It’s one thing to be short on time for the week, but it’s really a punch to the gut to not have enough PTO to make up the deficit. In order to be a good mom, I feel like I have to be a shitty employee.

It’s all about balance, which after being a mom in the workplace for the past 14+ years, I am still striving to find. I do my best at my job when I am there, in hopes they’ll be forgiving when I am not. My kids come first – it’s as simple as that.

 

It’s Back to School time!

It’s happened – the kids are officially back to school.

The last few days have included a wide range of emotions for my three school-agers: disbelief, sadness, nervousness and excitement, to name just a few. I heard many complaints about not wanting summer to be over, and tried my best to sell them on how great being back at school was going to be. They’ll get to see their friends every day and won’t be bored during the day – those type of things. Not sure they bought what I was selling, but I tried!

Being back to school can be a rough transition for families. After a summer full of traveling and a lack of a schedule, you often need to make some adjustments. Read on for ideas to implement at your house:

1. Get your routines back: Have your kids been staying up until 10 most nights in the summer? Have you been eating supper late due to baseball games or other outdoor activities? Now that school is back in session, you’ll want to move both of those up to avoid having overtired and over-hungry kiddos. Long days of learning and earlier lunches can catch up with them fast!
2. Review the rules: Where do backpacks go when they get home? Are they responsible for unpacking their backpacks? Does homework need to be done before they can watch TV? When is bedtime? If kids know what’s expected of them, things often will go much more smoothly.
3. What (or what not) to wear: Try to stock their dressers with school-appropriate items only. Also, I’ve found it’s best to have my boys pick out their clothes the night before as it’s one less thing their tired selves have to do in the morning.
4. Designate a homework area: Find somewhere with adequate light and space, and that is relatively free of distraction. I usually have the boys sit at the kitchen table so I can make sure they stay on task. 😉
5. Show interest: Ask your kids about their day. I started turning off the radio in the van on our drive home, and then ask the boys to tell me one good thing about their day. I’ve found that, if I can get them started, they’ll often talk for a while.

This morning, everyone woke up and things went relatively well. The 1^st grader is usually the difficult one, and he did great – I think he may have actually been excited?! The 4^th grader was cooperative but way less enthusiastic. The 8^th grader helped get everyone out the door so we could take the obligatory “1^st Day of School” picture. And the 3-year-old – well, she was just going with the flow. All in all – I don’t have any complaints. Here’s to the next 175 school days going just as smoothly… 😉

 

Want to be more productive? I do!

Beings I work outside the home during the day and have maybe 30-45 minutes of free time most evenings, I usually don’t feel like starting any projects because I know there’s no way I can finish and still get to bed at a decent hour. Thanks to my Type A personality, I have anxiety about stopping mid-project as I’m never really sure when I can get back to it (having 4 kids does that to a person). Or, I’ll start out intending to work on one project and then get distracted by other things before I can even get started on what I had planned to do originally. #mombrain

In summary, I’m in desperate need of figuring out how to be more productive with the time I do have! Here’s what I plan to try:

1. Start small: Let’s say you have a hard and fast deadline for a fairly big project, and then a few smaller things that have been on your to-do list for a while. You may think you’d be best off spending all your time on the big project, but it’ll probably be to your advantage to spend the first hour to finish the smaller tasks. That way, you can dedicate the latter (& larger) part of the time solely on the big project.
2. Make a must-do list: This list should be composed of no more than 6 things, and should be made daily – probably first thing in the morning so you have direction from the get go. Put the list somewhere extremely visible and cross things off as you get them done. If by chance you manage to get those 6 things done, then you can move on to your normal “to do” list.
3. Get up 45 minutes earlier: While this sounds awful to 99% of the population (myself included), early mornings can be extremely productive. Your kids (and spouse) are more than likely still asleep, so you should be able to get a ton accomplished.

When I do have down time, I actually want to be able to relax and enjoy it – not stress about what I should/could be doing at that moment. Hopefully implementing these 3 simple steps can help me do just that!

What a morning! :-/

Tuesday – it started out normally enough. My alarm goes off at 5:20 – I hit snooze. My alarm goes off at 5:29 – I hit snooze again. After the third alarm I finally get up.

My almost 3-year-old stirs so I go into her room and get her settled back down. Today is strength training day, so I put on my workout out clothes, pop in the DVD and huff and puff my way through it. Then I decide I need to get some steps in so I take a quick run. Feeling sufficiently “exercised,” I pack my lunch, shower and put my face on.

Now it’s time for things to get real – I need to wake up the boys. I walk into their room at 7:05, and tell them it’s time to get up. Not much response. My 7-year-old wakes up and asks about the baseball game score. He plays with the cat. I ask him what he wants for breakfast and get it ready. Smooth sailing so far!

I hear my almost 3-year-old stirring again, but I want to eat my cereal before it gets soggy. My 7-year-old is sitting with me at the table, eating. He asks what time the baseball game is tonight, and if it’s a 3 or 4 game series. He wants to watch the replay of last night’s game but I’m watching the news, so I tell him I’ll change the channel for him when I’m done with breakfast. He seems OK with that.

After inhaling my cereal, I head upstairs to “rescue” my daughter from her bed. She’s in a pretty good mood (#winning) so I get her dressed and settled with her cheese stick, sippy of juice, and Nature Cat. I quickly finish the rest of my breakfast.

Still no sign of my 10-year-old, and it’s now 7:20.  We try to leave by 7:35, so this isn’t a good sign. I roll him out of bed and instruct him to grab something quick to eat. The other two kids are content, so I proceed to brush my teeth and finish getting dressed.

This is where the wheels fall off. When I head to the bathroom to fix my hair, I tell the kids to get their shoes on. This is usually their “5 Minute Warning” for departure. My 7-year-old proceeds to have a huge tantrum – he doesn’t want to quit watching baseball. I tell him that all he has to do is put on his shoes, but that doesn’t register. Realizing there is no rationalizing with him at this point, I proceed to turn off the TV, and he flips out more. During the worst of the tantrum, he flings his head back and it collides with the windowsill. Ugh. More tears.

We finally get in the van at nearly 7:45 – a solid 10 minutes late. And it’s a red stoplight day. I’ve officially decided the world is against me.

I arrive at work and things are remarkably calm. I bask in the lack of tantrums and think to myself that things can only get better. This morning was only a blip on the radar of life. Tomorrow will start out much better – I hope…..