The Beginnings of a Home Gym

Folks, it's been almost 15 weeks since I started my fitness journey and it's been amazing. I'm loving it. 

I've been doing my workouts in our living room. 

It's been ok. I have to get set up each time. 

I've been storing my stuff behind one of the chairs. 

I have to roll up my yoga mat (my old one) and tuck it back behind the chair as well.

You can kind of see it in the top of this pic. All kind of just shoved in a corner. 

I'd face the TV and have my laptop set up on a little table near by.  I mean, it worked but it was not super convenient.

After my workout, I'd have to put all my stuff away.

And my new workout mat is just huge, so it was time to figure something out.

Luckily for us, our basement is huge and is a walkout. We have windows and doors. 

It's just...not...in any shape to do anything in. I mean. Steve legit stores his mower in the basement during the winter months. We also store our summer/patio furniture down there too...which makes me wonder what he's gonna do if I'm taking over some space...

Anyway, we had a ton of shit to get rid of. Tons of baby clothes (I know, I know), just miscellaneous junk. I took the time to organize some of it and put some of our stuff away in plastic containers (instead of the cardboard boxes they were in for the last 10 years...I'm surprised the boxes haven't disintegrated!)

Don't mention the baby crib...and stroller...

Purge!

Reorganized a lot of our stuff and put it away in plastic bins

My cleaned up corner. We are looking to put a large mirror up against the wall next to the window. Luckily we know a glass guy. 

So yeah. It's clearly nothing fancy. Borderlines being worse than outside lol. I might get a carpet pad (a LARGE ONE) to put under my workout mat. The concrete floor can be brutal if I'm doing floor stuff. 

It works for now. Steve thinks I'm nuts for wanting to put up motivational posters or something else to try to dress it up. I know, it's like putting lipstick on a pig. But, if I spend time down here every single day, why not try to spruce it up a little? I also want to get a plant to put down here with me. 

At least now I don't have to put everything away and can just leave it all be. 

Any ideas on how to make it nicer? I mean, without renovating anything? 

I can't paint over the styrofoam. The way our house was built...there's poured concrete in between the styrofoam "unusually high up" as per the house blueprints. (One thing that Steve loved about the construction of our house). I'm thinking of affixing posters and other wall hanging type decals or fixtures or plants. That might at least help my mindset as I'm working out ;)

A Lovely Fall Day

We've had some really nice, warm days lately. 

We're enjoying it as much as possible. Before it all goes to shit.

My BABIES. Why are they so big?

Moms need to get in front of the camera more. 

They insisted on matching clothes today. Getting bigger. 😭

The Tin Man behind us was motion-triggered to announce social distancing and mask wearing rules. Super cute! 

Getting ready to shoot their apple cannons! 

They legit went down this slide about 25 times, just over and over again. 

While the girls were going down the slide repeatedly, Steve and I sat on a bench in the warm sun and  people-watched. We were about 25 feet away from the girls, but had clear view of them. It was a very nice moment (maybe 8-10 glorious minutes?) These are the moments that remind me why NOT to have the 3rd baby. There was a cute family there that had 4 kids - one older girl, two boys and then a newborn girl. The dad was straight LOSING his shit with his youngest boy and it was hilarious. Hilarious from our point of view. Dad wasn't being mean by any means, and was handling the situation, he was just LOUD about it. 

They loved all the climbing stuff. 

Annnnd Mila is too big now. 

These hand sanitizer stations were at every single "ride, stop", etc. which was super convenient and people were doing a great job of actually using it. 

They even had these little hand-washing stations throughout which I thought was extra nice as well. 

We had a lovely day there and bought donuts and cider for the ride home (about 15 minutes east of us - we rarely go east and should more often!) No pictures of the donuts and cider though...we gobbled it up pretty fast! 

Another Fall Fun Day in the books. 

Fall Food and My Eating Habits

Not only have I been lifting weights almost everyday, but I'm also trying to eat better. Better as in, better for me. 

I have said before and I'll say it again - I LOVE FOOD. I love food so much I refuse to restrict myself because of a diet. (And before anyone judges me, when I nursed BOTH my babies, I was on a VERY restricted diet due to their allergies (ie: no milk/milk products, eggs, nuts, garlic, sunflower) , so I know I could do it for them, just not for me haha). I don't know if it's perhaps a little PTSD from that period of my life. Of always wanting and never feeling satisfied. (1st world problems, folks).

ANYWAY.

I love food. 

I have a sweet tooth. Hello chocolate. 

I love my coffee and coffee creamer.

But with all of that being said, there was a lot of room for improvement. Because I had never really paid attention to what kinds of foods I was eating, I could only improve, right?

Eating better doesn't mean eating white fish and broccoli for the rest of my life, either. 

It's about balance, y'all. 

Now that it's officially Fall, it's time for some yummy comfort food. You know, warm the soul food. 

Every year I make The Pioneer Woman's Beef Stew.

It has completely turned me on to turnips. So good! And as you can see, there are very little processed foods here. The tomato paste is processed and the beef stock. But everything else? Whole and fresh. 

Carrots, onions, turnips. Absolutely delicious. Even the girls ate multiple helpings. Love when I find recipes that are tasty and the entire family can enjoy, considering our list of allergens. 

Leftovers look like this for me. I added in my sweet potato and zucchini from my garden. Trying to maintain sensible portion sizes. 

Both my kids are meat eaters, which is great considering the amount of foods they CAN'T have, but they both LOVE a good steak (they will NOT be cheap dates😆). Here's how I eat some of their leftover steak. Just on top of some greens and fresh tomatoes from my garden. 

Hydration is a big one, too. This is my new cup! If you know me IRL you know I have an obsession with travel mugs, hydro flasks, cups with lids, etc. Not sure why. I just love them. When Steve and I got together, every time I brought a new one home, he'd open my cup cabinet and tell me to pick one out to throw out. lol. Anyway, this sucker is 40oz, so my goal is to drink TWO of these at least a day. I can barely hold it with one hand. haha. I also got the fun strap and silicon base add-ons because. Why not? 

Another thing I've been practicing. NOT drinking my calories! I used to drink juice, cut in half with water. Just because I have never loved water. I mean, yes I'll drink it, but I love a little flavor. 

So I'm now addicted to these guys. I have the kind with caffeine and one without. 

I still drink my coffee every single morning. With my creamer. That's my ONE thing that is my thing I won't give up. I'm very strict though and limit myself to ONE coffee a day. It's about 140cal of creamer. But I love it. It's my only added sugar throughout the day as well, so....yeah. 

Let's talk about snacks.

I'm a snacker. 

Maybe it's from my younger, munchie days. 😂

Anyway. I love me some snacks.

But I've stopped. 

Because it's just not worth it. I used to feel bloated all the time. I never really felt "hungry" if you know what I mean. I ate because it was "time to eat." 

I also grew up in a family where you had to "clean your plate" (there's back-history as to why but that's for another post altogether!)

So I just stopped snacking (as much).

Now when I want to eat a little something, I will eat some fruit, or eat some of this deliciousness.

It's another thing that's actually been a staple in our house since Mila was born. She has a peanut allergy, so she ate this. It's delicious. Ava can't have it because she's allergic to sunflower (of course, right?) But this shit is $6.50 per jar. Yep. But I'm the only one who really eats it nowadays. This on top of gluten free bread or on top of a rice cake. Delish. These are a common snack for me these days. 

If I were to guess, I'd say I was consuming around 1400 - 1600 calories per day. This is how I'm able to cut about a pound a week. By my calculations, my energy expenditure is around 1900 calories per day. So I'm usually in a deficit. 

I have to make sure I eat enough protein in order to grow muscle. 

I'm excited for chilis, soups, stews and casseroles. Anyone else? 

My New Office

My entire team is working remotely...until January 2021 at least. We will be re-evaluating monthly after that, I think is what they said.

That being said, I have gone into the office for a few meetings. 

There is no rush to go back into the office, but there's a part of me that's excited to "get back to normal" whatever that means.

With Steve being home on the girls' homeschool days, it gives me the opportunity  freedom to go into the office. But because everyone is working remotely, there's no pressure or rush to get in at 8am...

I went in for my 9:30 meeting. 

I had that meeting and I wanted to officially move into my office space! If I will be coming into the office, even if it's only once a week, I wanted it to feel like my space.

So we did the move today! 

Since people are shuffling offices, there were a few folks from my team there and that was super nice! We chatted from our offices (open doors), we moved furniture together, etc. It was nice to spend a little time with them!

Obviously I need some artwork on my walls. It feels good to move in. I also have another white cabinet and two chairs opposite my desk. And I definitely need new pictures of the girls! 

My automatic adjustable standing desk. #bougy

Sundays

Sundays are usually the days Steve and I try to do things as a family and keep things low-key. Especially as we head into the winter months.

The weather is starting to change and it's definitely cooler now. The air is crisp and the mornings are beautiful.

I LOVE this time of year. I always want it to last twice as long.

This past Sunday was no different.

The girls missed Steve, so they spent a good amount of time like this.

Steve's under there somewhere!

Dogs playing

Great day to make Beef Stew. I love The Pioneer Woman's Recipe.

It was delicious. Even the girls had two helpings! 

First Day Of School 2020 - COVID Style

We did it. 

We all survived the First Day of School - COVID Style.

The girls were super excited to get ready this morning and were on point. 

Mila looking fresh with her new kicks. 

Ava is so tiny

We were on time and on our way! 

Until we were about 10 minutes into our 13 minute drive and realized I had forgotten to pack their lunches, which were still in the fridge. 

FML.

I debated going back at that point, or waiting and getting the girls to school first then turning around and going back to get the lunches. 

I didn't think I'd have time because I had meetings starting at 9:30. 

So I turned around and went back.

And we STILL made it before we were considered "late"! They have until 9am to get to their classrooms.

Since we were so on point, we were early and ergo, me forgetting the lunches didn't really derail us too much.

When we put Mila on the bus for Kindergarten, as soon as the bus pulled away I pretty much dropped to the ground sobbing. Yeah, yeah, I know. Dramatic. 

Did you expect anything less?

ANYWAY.

This time?

I was good!

We chatted on the way and Ava told me she was nervous but excited.

Drop off didn't seem all that different. 

Same spot. Same logistics.

Cool.

I kissed them goodbye in the car and out they went.

When I turned around to wave goodbye and I watched Mila guide Ava into the building, I STRAIGHT LOST MY MIND.

People.

Ava is SO TINY.

Her backpack is SO BIG.

MY BABY.

I couldn't keep it in at all.

I called Steve and just SOBBED INTO HIS EAR.

I was like "it's our last baby going to school" and without skipping a beat, was like "YES, OUR LAST ONE" 😂

I had to get my shit together though because I had to be ready for a 9:30am video call.

I picked them up at 3pm and the dismissal process wasn't as smooth, but it wasn't terrible. I waited in the pick-up line for 30 minutes. UGH.

I see Mila - left of the pole in the center of the pic. Pink top, gray pants. It was comforting to know Mila was with Ava while they waited. 

In order to pick up kids, we have an App on our phones with a parent PIN. We need to scan a QR code that a school admin has who is up in the parking lot. This scan then alerts whoever has my kids that it's ok to "release" them to the pick-up area. I sure hope that as this goes on it gets better because 30 minutes waiting is too long. The drive is about 12-13 one way, so almost an HOUR to pick up? C'mon. 

The bus ride is shorter. It's about 45 minutes. WTF. But then they are the ones suffering and have to be on the bus for the entire time. Versus ME, just sitting there, missing work - kind of. Luckily I have all necessary apps on my phone so I can still do some work while waiting in the car...but not ideal. 

ANYWAY.

I'm super excited for them because they were in the BEST MOODS. They were SO HAPPY to have gone to school and they BOTH had fantastic days! 

Both are looking forward to tomorrow. 

Onward! 

Let's DO this

Welp.

Here we go.

The girls got new clothes.

Got all their school supplies. 

And we just got new shoes and new water bottles. 

We ended up getting new sneakers AND new boots for them. Sales, people! 

We picked up Ava's iPad as well last week after we met up with Ava's teacher and went to her classroom. Ava's been doing great with the remote learning and I'm pumped for her to be in a legit class with kids. She's nervous, but I think she'll do great. 

Mila got to watch a video from her teacher so she could see her face without a mask and see what her classroom looks like. She'll be walking Ava to her classroom first, before heading to her own. Because of COVID, I won't be able to walk Ava to her room like I had hoped. Although, I didn't walk Mila either because she took the bus. 

But just dropping my baby off at the door like that is just weird.

Fuck COVID.

My First Week - Complete!

I completed my first week at work.

It was a short week since Monday was a holiday.

I went in two days - it could've been only one, but my computer wasn't ready on the first day, so I had to go back another day.

I love it so far.

The people are super chill.

They seem down to Earth and they are really smart. 

I enjoyed all the meetings I've been in so far.

I did a lot of head-nodding and there was a lot of agreement from my perspective on the approach on various things.

I will be working from home primarily.

This was the first day of school for the girls - virtually, so that's why I'm set up down at the dining room table. I do have my office upstairs, of course that I plan on utilizing a lot more now. 

Overall I feel really good. I really, really like the people, the place, the accounts I'll be working on. 

There will be several life-changing things I need to get used to:

1. NO TIMESHEETS. For anyone who works in my industry, knows that Timesheets are the WORST. Please keep track of your day in 15 minute increments so you can bill clients in 15 minute increments. I get it, we have to be paid based on what we do. But DAMN. 

2. NO JOB NUMBERS. WUT. No real paperwork either. It's all online and via a project management app. 

Not having to track my time each day is weird. As soon as I get off a call, I'm ready to input my time. Only to realize there's no inputting. 

I know this post is going up a bit late, as I'm coming up on completing my second week! It's been awesome and I am loving it so far. 

I really hope this works out. I can see myself here for a long time. 

A Nice Fall Weekend

We are enjoying all the family time we are getting because of COVID.

Steve and I have always been friends and we enjoy each other's company still. He's still the person I want to spend all my time with.

And, with his schedule, we get to be together quite a bit.

Bonus is that the girls are also home a majority of the time and even though sometimes they drive me completely and absolutely out of my mind, I know this is time that I'll never get again with them. So I'm trying to really make the most of it.

We've been spending a lot of time outside - it's changing seasons and it's just beautiful. The air is crisp, the leaves are starting to change color. The smell outside just smells like Fall.

I was at the office one of the days and I came home to Ava having found the smallest freaking snail I've ever seen. Like, microscopic almost. 

She named him Scooter. 

She's so proud of him/her. 

Full transparency - during quarantine, the girls have spent way more time on screens than I ever would have allowed in real life. Especially when I was working full time and Steve was working and I had no help. Now that we're trying to get back to some what of a normal (whatever the hell that is) life, we are slowing weaning them away from their screens. You'd think we told them their best friend was moving away the way they sulk if I take screens away. I know, I know, my fault. ANYWAY. In an effort to combat this, Steve went out and bought new Lego sets! There were super cute and fun to put together. We spent the afternoon together as a family just like what this pic shows. <Look at Mr's face....lol>

We took advantage of a nice evening and went on a golf cart ride. Excuse my face, I was worried the owners were coming to yell at me. They were not - it was a random car that pulled over to look at them too! So cute and so friendly this guy. 

Ava loved him.

He ate right out of her hand! 

THEN THERE'S THE BABY. OMG. I almost leapt off the golf cart while it was in motion to see the baby. So cute. 

It's definitely getting chilly at night. It's dropping into the 50's so it's super comfortable for sleeping, but super chilly for a golf cart ride.

Bring on Fall!