Week...well....Hm.

Let's call it the end of a very, very long week 23, shall we?

It's been a crazy, great summer, though. And even with not staying on plan - or anywhere near it, really! - I've maintained the weight loss I had at the end of March.

Some highlights -

April, of course, we got married.  He left one job and then went back but on our terms.  No more opening shifts and 2 set days off per week, cross-training and raises, and supervisor training.  Which lasted not so long, of course.  While they never scheduled him opening again, his hours were all over the place between 7am and 5pm, and anywhere from 15-40 hours.  He was one of the few that were supposed to get no less than 30 hours per week period.  And those 2 set days off?  Happened maybe 4 weeks total.

May - we got the Nutri Ninja and I love it for my shakes.  I add a handful of spinach, a touch of vanilla extract, and then if it's the strawberry shake I add some sugar-free strawberry syrup because otherwise I can't really drink it - it's not my favorite.  If I have the vanilla shake then I'll add caramel syrup (sugar-free) and powdered peanut butter.  I haven't used it nearly as much as I should be, though.

June was rough for me - I had to realize that I just couldn't do my coaching sessions over the phone on my lunch breaks anymore.  There have been changes at work and they're not being quite as flexible about schedule changes - holding the non-phone people to the phone scheduling system (which can literally change your break time during your shift!).  But I do have the local branch now and I started going there and I really like my new coach.

July - 2 birthdays (including a 40th!) and still with the hot weather.  I can't walk outside in the heat hardly at all so I spent my breaks sitting.  I can tell, too.  I'm stiff and achy again.  I did go see a personal trainer twice and realized I am definitely stronger than I think!  I'm right around average to above average (except in sit-ups, ha!).  He had me use a TRX system the first time and I loved it.  The second session was a punching bag and medicine ball - and I loved that too!  (I think I like aggressive outlets....haha)

August - yeah, more heat.  Oh, and the Farmer's Market?  On the one day we can go, they have almost no actual produce but a few vendors with things like jams, kettlecorn, and a few other things I don't remember.  It was super disappointing for us.  I'm sure they probably had more things on the other days/hours they were open - but we couldn't get there so it didn't help us much.  We've been hitting Safeway, though, and their produce is pretty good in general.

September flew by.  I'd go on and off plan - and finally just took the month.  I cancelled my coaching sessions and did some digging around and thinking and I feel like I've sorted some things out.  The biggest thing is that I'm not beating myself up over "falling off the wagon."  It happened, but I still had learned some things and am listening to my body a lot more.  I  bit the bullet and ordered "DDPYoga" - because this video is so inspiring:

I also made the decision to start walking 1 mile twice a day - when I wake up and before I go to bed.  So I got the okay from Dad to move the coffee table into the back room.  I'll use my WATP dvds for the walking - I'll alternate days with DDPYoga with resistance band strength training.

I also disabled my Facebook account - and a month later I'm not missing it one bit.  AND my husband finally left that other job for good.  He got an offer at a wooden toy manufacturer, tried to talk to his manager to give her two weeks' notice and she kept blowing him off, so after 2 days (the amount of time he told the new employer he would get back to him with a start date) - he finished out that week's schedule and quit.  And it felt so good....for all of us!  He's now working M-F 8-430, what a blessing!

So October - we're 8 days in and where am I?  Well, October first we did this:

From the Crazy Horse Memorial website: The bi-annual Crazy Horse Volksmarch (an organized hike) is a 10K or 6.2-mile woodlands ramble to the world’s largest mountain carving in progress in the southern Black Hills of South Dakota.

It was definitely a challenge and towards the end of the uphill climb I think I was stopping every 50 feet or so.  The level part coming back wasn't much better - my feet HURT.  But I DID IT.  And I used the exercise tracking option on my FitBit and it said I did it in 4 hours.  I had a feeling it would take that long - and I'm not at all disappointed.  It's a HIKE.

So - I will try to get back to weekly posts - there's some Skoolie updates, too - slow progress but progress!  He's framing now and once that is all figured out the rest should go fairly quickly.  And I have to go find the clearance lights!

Until next time!

Week 18 on Profile by Sanford

Again, my Profile weeks run from Wednesday to Tuesday, since I started on a Wednesday. So this is from May 3through May 9, 2017. I do tend to get discombobulated a bit so while the weight/measurements run those weeks, what I write about may not. :-)

This week as all up in the air - I took Thursday and Friday off, partly for my birthday and partly to get some work done on the Skoolie.  Friday was also a 5th grade entrepreneur fair - my nephew had designed desk water bottle holders last year and so this year he used those as his product.  If I'm remembering correctly, each student had to have a product, determine cost to make it, apply for a loan from the school, obtain a "business license" from the school, and pay a fee for space, make the products, and sell them.  Any profit they made was theirs to keep.  The fair was open to the public and there were some really cool ideas!!  

So Thursday and Friday mornings my husband and I tinted most of the windows on the Skoolie.  Friday afternoon was the school fair, and then we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant for supper and had birthday cake.  Saturday was a lay-about day.  Just not a lot of oomph.  :-)  Today we got all but the back door and 2 corner windows tinted - we need one more roll of tint.  

Last Saturday we went to Custer State Park - we took Needles Highway down there and he got to see the Needles Eye - as a rock hound, he was tickled with that whole bit.  Then we took the wildlife loop through the park - and those buffalo calves are sure cute as they're learning to use their legs!  The burros were happy to eat the chips we brought, as always, and even the prairie dogs and antelope made an appearance!  We took Iron Mountain Road back to Hill City via Keystone and had a drink at the winery where he works.  All in all, a very lovely day (and a very not-so-lovely sunburn on my left arm....oops!!)

So, here are the numbers - again, not worried, not going to fret - learning to just go with it.  I know that trying to stick to plan 100% of the time isn't going to work for me and I know that my numbers will show that.  I strive for 95% and am happy at 80% - and that's about what you do at maintenance levels, depending on who you talk to.  Part of the program is learning to overcome the mental obstacles and the striving for perfection is the hardest one for me.

Those weekends and my steps...we need to learn to dance better!!  :-)

Until next week!!

Heather

Week 17 on Profile by Sanford

Again, my Profile weeks run from Wednesday to Tuesday, since I started on a Wednesday. So this is from April 26 through May 2, 2017. I do tend to get discombobulated a bit so while the weight/measurements run those weeks, what I write about may not. :-)

While not perfect, I did much better about staying on plan this week.  There were still a couple of Panera mornings but overall, much better and much more conscious of what I was eating when I was off plan.  And it showed:

I'm pretty tickled with that.  And, because it's the start of a new month, here are measurements, which won't be too unchanged from a couple of weeks ago:

Still, there is some loss and I'll take it, for sure and for certain.  It is a bit frustrating to still be ordering the same size clothes but then I remember, they actually fit now, versus too tight and never getting worn.  In fact, I bought 2 pairs of cropped jeans for summer last week and the one pair is already able to be pulled off without unzipping...and I'd bought them one size smaller than usual.  The pair in the store were a bit snug - the pair we had to order is the pair that are a bit loose!  So, a wonderful NSV (non-scale victory) there!  And, just to remind myself of the body composition changes - I'm wearing the same tank top in these pictures but clearly not the same pants.  When I tried on the other pair of crop pants and looked at myself in the mirror, I was kind of gobsmacked at the difference in side view of my legs.  

Definitely progress!!

And this week's FitBit stats:

A couple of decreases but overall, an improvement!  The weekly challenge among some of my FitBit friends has helped, along with the overall weather, and one friend at work who walks over to my desk to tell me what she saw of me walking on my morning break - be it that she really likes my shirt or that she noticed I didn't have as much "pep in my step" and wanting to make sure I was okay.  Thank you, sweetie!!

This is our last week of 3am wake-up calls - yes!!  And only 4 days - his last day at Panera is the Thursday, we're taking Friday off to spend with family, and he starts the winery Saturday.  Well, officially starts - he's worked the last 2 Fridays for a couple of events they had.  We'll be doing almost a complete turn-around in schedule as my new schedule will be 9:30am-6:00pm (versus 6:30am-3:00pm) and his will vary from 10am-6pm, 11am-7pm, or 12pm-8pm+closing duties.  My intent is to still wake up relatively early - 6am - and do a quick walk/hike/strength-training before we head out - I'll be dropping him off in Hill City by 8:45am to ensure I can get to work in Rapid City by 9:30am.  The first week will get us some time frames worked out but then it will be smooth sailing!

So, until next week!

Heather

Week 16 on Profile by Sanford

Again, my Profile weeks run from Wednesday to Tuesday, since I started on a Wednesday. So this is from April 19 through April 25, 2017. I do tend to get discombobulated a bit so while the weight/measurements run those weeks, what I write about may not. :-)

What a rough month and, consequently, week.  Let's just get these numbers over with, shall we?

Uff da.  But, in looking back, I've been off plan far more than on plan, I'm afraid.  And it shows - no loss this month.  In fact, 2/10 of a pound in gain.  BUT for all the off-plan, I'm impressed that that's all the gain I had.  I would almost say it's more of a maintenance than a gain.  We ended up eating out a couple of times and that doesn't help, of course.  No excuses, but things to remember for the future.

Getting steps in has been interesting with this crazy South Dakota weather!  We woke up to snow TWICE this week and it was cold/rainy all week long.

Walking in the winter coat that didn't zip up at Christmas!

Punny.....

Windy day!!!

But I did it - even on the weekends!! 

And I think it was Tuesday - but it might have been Wednesday or Thursday after these stats - it was raining out on my first break and I really didn't want to walk outside - and I really didn't want to walk around the break room as that's when a lot of people are just getting in to work and getting their coffee, etc.  Then I remembered! Leslie Sansone, of WATP (Walk Away The Pounds), has some workouts on her YouTube channel - including a couple of 5-minute ones!  So I went upstairs (and walked up the stairs, no elevator!!) to a quiet area rarely frequented, hit play, and went for it!  Then back down the stairs, across the building to the breakroom to get my blender bottle (I fill those with water when I first get to work and put them in the fridge) and back to my desk.  My goal for the next month is to hit that step goal every weekend too, then increase it by a factor of 10%.  Even though I'm hitting it during the week, weekends seems to be a bear for me.  No structure, no schedule is hard for me.  

And while there was no weight loss this month, there's still things to be proud of.  Those steps, for example.  Feeling more energetic as a general rule (not counting the being so tired from getting up at 3am for his job).  Going to my new favorite store, Torrid, and buying denim capris a size smaller.  Flappy jeans when I'm walking (which amuses me to no end!).  (Flappy jeans - the material flaps as I walk because it's so loose.)  And ALL my jeans can now be taken off without unbuttoning or unzipping.  That's even the pair that was still snug a couple of weeks ago.  So while measurements haven't been changing much, weight loss has been stalled, things are really looking up.

For example, blood pressure.  Ideally, it should be between 90/60 and 120/80.  January 3rd it was 143/84.  I take this with the proverbial grain of salt because I was definitely feeling dehydrated that morning (we'd spent the night in a very warm hotel room the night before and I was doing fasting blood work that morning as well) and the nurse had tried 3 times with an arm cuff before switching to a wrist cuff.  Still, kind of scary.  I've been regularly checking it Wednesday evenings and this last week it was at 123/62.  It ranges up to the 130s over 80s, and sometimes higher if I forget to sit still during the reading or forget to wait a few minutes after coming upstairs.  But I like these numbers.  The beginning of July I plan on getting the blood work done again to see how that has changed also.

Other news - there are only 11 more days of waking up before the crack of dawn!!  My husband got a job at one of the winery/breweries in Hill City.  It will mean a fair bit more driving and a lot more meal planning - but it will get us on a more normal biorhythm, too.  My goal is on nice days to go walking/biking outside and on yucky days to stop at Planet Fitness before going to pick him up.  I was able to switch my schedule from 6:30am-3:00pm to 9:30am-6:00pm.  The earliest his shift ends will be 6:00pm so this will work out nicely.  I'm mentally planning larger breakfasts and lunches which will also help with sleeping at night.

Skoolie news - insulation is in!

That pile is what is left plus one more roll - and let me tell you what: even with the cold weather we had, the temperature difference inside the Skoolie is noticeable.  In just a t-shirt and jeans I was almost comfortable.  Hard to believe, isn't it?  Definitely a good investment and a great score!  (Regular price would have been $350 and he got it for $35!!)

We thought we had an on-demand water heater but on closer viewing it's a hot water dispenser - meaning it has a tiny tank inside for providing hot water for a cup of coffee or tea.  Not what we need at all!  So we're going to test it anyway and if it works sell it.  We had one in mind anyway so now it's a matter of looking at budget for that and what else we need right now to start framing around.  I think the water heater/plumbing are the only two issues.  

So, until next week!!

H

Profile by Sanford Week 14

Again, my Profile weeks run from Wednesday to Tuesday, since I started on a Wednesday. So this is from April 5 through April 11, 2017. I am starting to get discombobulated a bit so while the weight/measurements run those weeks, what I write about may not. :-)

So, let's start with measurements. They've been driving me nuts the past few weeks - this past week my neck went UP in measurement, even with a large weight loss (keeping in mind I was "making up" for the weight gain last week). I talked this over with my coach and we decided to change up my "markers" - I'm going to do measurements once a month and start focusing on my steps. After today, I'm going to put measurements up with the 1st weigh in of the month, or, in the case of June, the May 31st weigh in - to try to keep them about 4 weeks apart. I'll be taking my weekly logs from FitBit and putting them up here for your viewing pleasure. (I have the One in burgundy and I absolutely love it! I typically wear it clipped to my bra but if need be I'll clip it in the "coin pocket" of my jeans or my waist band. I'm just more nervous about losing it from those last 2 spots but it has yet to work itself loose.) I just discovered that on the Fitbit website I can tailor the week so I'll be able to get the logs to measure the same "weeks" as my Profile week, Wednesday to Tuesday. My little inner geek is pretty tickled with that!

So - last week's weigh in looked like this:



That's that gain I talked about but didn't fret over.

This week's looks like this:



I can't believe I hadn't been putting my bicep measurements in this whole time - that's been added!

And here is the first FitBit clip! I was also able to go back and get steps from January, so that's my starting point.



Of course, the weekend of April 1 I didn't wear my Fitbit due to that surprise wedding, hehe - I put a "1" in there to keep from getting the div/0 error. :-) Weekends are definitely harder for me - I blog/do laundry/kick back and knit a lot on one day and the other day is catch-as-catch-can. Friday, I wore what I'm affectionately referring to as my "Marilyn Monroe" shoes - I like to think she'd have worn them! And if I can walk on my break in these shoes, I can definitely figure out how to get some short walks in on the weekends!!



So, you can see my goals for this week are pretty well laid out - back on track with eating (Easter weekend meant a lot of food - but I still practiced portion control and while I definitely indulged, I definitely did not indulge as much as I might have last year!), getting more steps in, and I want to add strength training, too. And doing that means giving up time doing something else...

Until next week!

Heather

Week 13 on Profile by Sanford

Again, my Profile weeks run from Wednesday to Tuesday, since I started on a Wednesday. So this is from March 29 through April 4, 2017. I am starting to get discombobulated a bit so while the weight/measurements run those weeks, what I write about may not. :-)

So - I fell off the proverbial wagon and hard. But with good reason:



We got married April 1!

Between end of month at work (mandatory overtime until the work is done) and planning and preparing for our surprise wedding, the last two weeks have been rough as far as staying on plan. And it showed on the scale this week with a 3.75 pound gain. Ouch. But I'm not getting too upset about it - in the grand scheme of things that's not something to fret over. It's just a reminder of what bad habits cause. I'm back on track starting tomorrow and moving forward. I'm going to be adding strength training to my day and with the nicer weather walking more, too. And reminding my husband (which is so terribly fun to say!) to pay a bit more attention to portions and ingredients as he cooks. He's so blessedly tired, though, it's near impossible for me to get upset. His job is going to cause us problems soon, I'm afraid. Getting up at 3:10 in the morning is getting to be too much - we have to keep a "normal" schedule for meals for Dad - so supper is between 6 and 7 pm and there's no way I can go to bed so soon after eating so it's usually between 9 and 10 pm - so 6 hours and usually only 5 hours of sleep makes for some tired driving on a very curvy road in the mornings.

But the wedding was fantastic - we were even able to have it outside! I was able to wear my shoes with a short heel all day, too. I haven't been able to do that in quite awhile! We had a package deal, a "Couples Night Out" that included a king suite with jacuzzi tub, shuttle to/from Deadwood, dinner at the steak house and coupons for the Silverado, as well as a bottle of champagne, chocolates, and rose petals on the bed. Super romantic!! And, we've confirmed what everyone else has already known - we're already an old married couple. We stayed in after all! haha

This past Friday, Profile by Sanford had a sneak peek for their new location that is local to me! I'm pretty tickled - and while I will still do my virtual coaching, it will be so nice to be able to just stop in and get what I need! They had samples out for the trying, and we got to tour the store. I'm looking forward to taking some classes there, too.

So, this week's goals are to get back on track, add in exercise, and increase my step count on my Fitbit. Let's git 'er done!!

H

Weeks 11 & 12 Profile by Sanford

Again, my Profile weeks run from Wednesday to Tuesday, since I started on a Wednesday. So this is from March 15 through March 21, and March 22 through March 28,2017. I am starting to get discombobulated a bit so while the weight/measurements run those weeks, what I write about may not. :-)

So last weekend was super busy with overtime on Saturday and walking around the Home Show with Dad and Casey. Sunday Dad and I were going to work on his computer as he is learning how to use it - but we got distracted by some really good shows on TV!! I never made it to the computer room - oops!!

Here's last week's numbers:



Not a lot of progress, but progress is still progress.

And this week's numbers:



Those inches are interesting, aren't they? Sometimes up, sometimes down, sometimes no change. I talked to my Profile by Sanford coach today about that and agree that it's most likely due to restructuring going on. Our bodies do things their own way, and I doubt we'll ever really fully understand how they work! But I was still pretty tickled with my progress because last Saturday I went to Lane Bryant to look for a good-fitting strapless bra, very hard to find right now!! But I need it for this upcoming weekend sooo...I happened to come across an adorable pair of crop pants, white with tan stripes. Of course they don't have them in my size, just the size below! But the saleslady was so nice and helpful, she said try on the blue pair of the same style and if they fit I can order the striped pair online. Clever! So I tried on the blue pair and they fit, even a smidge loose. On a whim, I tried on the striped pair - and they came home with me! They're a smidge snug but by the time I'm wearing only crop pants and need to rotate the 3 pair I have, they'll be a great fit! Non-scale victory for the win!! Or would that be the loss...? Hehehe.

This blog post is a two-fer. We've got a very busy weekend coming up and I plan on being offline for most of it. Next week's weight/measurements may reflect this - there will be no following of plan this weekend - although I don't intend to make poor choices, either. I'm learning how much is enough and how much is too much as far as volume goes - and believe me, when I eat too much now I feel it and regret it! So I'm working on learning to control that. I also need to experiment with vegetables - broccoli and cauliflower are getting kind of old at work (and the last few things of frozen broccoli have been pretty gross, to boot!). I also need to incorporate exercise into my day - especially strength training. I enjoy strength training but there's a mental block because I remember how much I used to be able to do and keep comparing my current self to my old self. So hopefully the following weekend I'll have some updates there, too!

On that note:



And I do love my cheese!

Week 10 Profile by Sanford

Again, my Profile weeks run from Wednesday to Tuesday, since I started on a Wednesday. So this is from March 8 through March 14, 2017. I am starting to get discombobulated a bit so while the weight/measurements run those weeks, what I write about may not. :-)

Saint Patrick's Day brought another potluck at work....I took a veggie tray but still ate small samples of things. Well, small samples except of the desserts...but overall not too bad. I went the week without taking my omeprazole but by the end of the week I was having a "sour stomach" so I started taking it again yesterday. (Of course, we had a greasy pizza Friday night - I did have a super salad with it but....) I'm not upset - I know that I will be able to stop taking it some day - maybe. Because I don't have a gall bladder anymore, I may be stuck on it for a long time but I'm hoping that it will ease up as I get closer to goal.

Non-scale victory - the jeans I couldn't zip up in January now will slide off without unbuttoning/unzipping. Which is funny since they're still sometimes tight in the button! So definitely things are shifting around in my body. I was also able to go to Gordman's yesterday, try one shirt on, and get 4 more in the same size but different brands/styles and have them all fit!! It's definitely progress - and things to keep me positive. I'm going to have to really focus on those as I get closer to 50 pounds. I've lost 45, 47, and 49 pounds in the past - each time gaining it all back plus some. It's like a switch goes off in my head that doesn't let me get past that 50 pound mark. I'm hoping to hit that point by my birthday - so time to refocus and hit it hard! It's actually an attainable goal at just under 3 pounds per week with this plan. So the rest of my computer time today will be spent looking at veggie recipes and formulating a plan. This week is supposed to be nicer (except Tuesday!) again and so I'll likely start walking outside on my breaks, too. And, depending on fatigue levels, after supper in the evenings versus watching TV and knitting or spinning!

I had fun with the spinach crust pizza again today by adding the Profile by Sanford sloppy joe meal replacement to it - it looked funky but tasted pretty good!!



I, of course, read the directions wrong and added too much water so used some extra cheese to thicken it up a bit. I love that spinach crust, though!!

And here are the numbers for this week:



Loving these numbers!

Have a great week, everyone!!

Heather

Happy 2017!!

Another year has gone by, and what a crazy year it was!

Quick recap: Bought a Skoolie in February, got jerked around by a well-known truck service company in Ohio for a month, but managed to leave Ohio and end up in South Dakota in April. Our intent was to get to Washington state but that's on hold for a bit. Got good jobs, Dad and Casey are kicking butt on the Skoolie renovation (it had already been converted to a motorhome but now it will be a much cleaner, safer, nicer one!), got a new used car, and have had great times with family and friends!

Biggest change for 2017 is weight loss. And a lot of it. I had been talking about Optifast previously, and while I still feel it would have been a good fit for me (as always, consult with your physician for what will work best for you), I was able to take the delay in finances and do some additional research. Optifast ends at either 12 or 18 weeks, whether you're close to goal or not. That had the potential to be a major downside given the amount of weight I need to lose. I had seen a commercial for what I knew was a gimmick product but I'm always curious about the "claims" they make so I did some digging, read some reviews, and one of those reviews mentioned Profile by Sanford. My ears perked up a bit as I know the name Sanford, as in Sanford Health, very well having previously used their health insurance plans offered through employers in the Huron, SD area. And so I did some digging and it is very similar to Optifast but with a few noticeable differences. One, you're not meeting with one of their doctors - which is okay with me as I much prefer meeting with my regular physician anyway. Labs are not included - which is also okay because getting those done through my doctor means they apply to my deductible instead. You still get weekly coaching sessions for up to 18 weeks, but your subscription is for 1 year - and so you have access to the tools for one year plus you can always pay for another year if you want. Also included in that is a wifi scale and network bridge that syncs to your account automatically. And while they are primarily located in Eastern South Dakota, MN, and that area, they have a virtual option so that's what I'll be doing. It does sound like they're planning on opening one near me this year, but it is nice that I don't have to wait. They do offer education as well, which is a big deal for me. I need to relearn a lot when it comes to eating habits, especially emotional habits.

So, after talking to a coach for an initial consultation in November, I placed my order on December 26th. Keeping in mind it is the holidays, I did experience a bit of disappointment which I will be bringing up with them. I did not get a confirmation email for my order, and along with that, no tracking information. All I knew was that they took my money. They did pre-honor their $99 pricing that wasn't to go into effect until the 1st of the year, and I did add the cookbook (pricing as of right now is $10). But I really would have liked an invoice, even via email since there wasn't one in the package, of how that money was utilized. I don't know what the cost of the meal replacements were, for example. I'm sure had I gone in person I would have an itemized receipt and frankly, I expect no less when I'm purchasing online. I also have no access to my profile on their site - it needs to be activated, and I received no information on when I can expect my first coaching session nor when they want me to start the program. That being said, when I did my initial consultation, he had laid out what to eat and about when, and how to read the grocery list, so I am planning on starting meal replacements Wednesday, January 4th. This is because I have a doctor's appointment Tuesday for blood work and I want that to be pre-plan. This will give me solid starting numbers that are not dependent on a scale or a tape measure and will be additional data for me to help keep me focused. The only other issue is that they don't have hours for the virtual program as far as when you can call if you have questions - they have store hours for their physical locations, but even so, calling during those hours I've had twice where they've answered and twice where I've left a voice message with no indication of hours. These are, though, small things that will be worked out over time.

We are hoping to have the Skoolie done by spring and plan on finding a place to park it and live in it - at least over the summer/fall to test it out. The finance company where we got our car sounds like they're pretty picky on customers leaving the area owing them money (understandable as they are loaning to high-risk customers) and so we need to be a lot closer to having it paid off before we can head out of town again. My hope is to find a mobile home park but we shall see what we shall see. We picked up the fridge yesterday and it's in the house waiting to be installed. Our biggest concern right now is a heating system - we'd like a convection-style wall-mount system and we did find one that we think will do the trick - we'd need 2 units and if it doesn't, it's a 15% restocking fee on each one, plus the cost of shipping both ways. Before we can do any interior framing and building, we need to tint the windows which would be a good time to test any heating system due to the frigid cold we're experiencing!! We have a layout in mind, and it's even been taped out on the floor so we have an idea of what to expect. I was rather surprised to see we would have room for a 36" shower - and told Casey we can definitely go as small as 28" if we need to. It's looking like we may still have a small bit of closet space where the old closet was, which will be nice. Any extra space will be nice!

It's looking like we'll have a busy 2017 - may it be a wonderful year to all of you!

Heather

What leaps of faith are you going to take?

The following is a quote from SparkPeople that I really liked:

Trying new things can give you a real zest for life. Pushing beyond your comfort zone in a responsible way helps you grow confidence and creativity that you can apply to your everyday life. Do not let fear control what you do (or don't) do? While taking risks can be scary, doing nothing is a big mistake, as it produces nothing fruitful within you. There is a direct relationship between the things that we achieve and the effort we put forth to obtain them. To reach the fruit, you have to climb the tree first!


How many times, in looking back, do you wish you had tried something new when it came your way? For me, a few stick out. Learning to make artificial flowers from my godmother because for some reason I didn't want to learn from my mother (my brother and I , I guess). And now, I wish I had learned to knit from Mom. I want to knit, I know I can do it, but it would have been a lot easier to learn from her. For those who don't know, she passed away unexpectedly in November, and so naturally I have a lot of regrets/lost chances. (She was only 54.)

I'm a newlywed (little over 1 year!) and I'm also trying to lose weight/get healthier. I'm very self-conscious, and so even the thought of telling my DH "I'm going upstairs to use the treadmill" is scary for me. Not because he's not supportive (he's VERY supportive!) but because I just know he's picturing me on the treadmill and the thought of that is almost as scary to me as getting up on stage would be. Generally, I'm home alone, and so I do it whenever. But on his days off, it's trickier for me. I don't want to take time away from him, but we both want me to be healthier. So I've been trying to be a lot better about just doing it. Climbing the stairs to get to where the treadmill is certainly feels like climbing a tree to get the fruit!

So...which trees will you climb today?

Heather