Weekly roundup

Last week, I…

*did nothing. Oh wait, I broke my foot. And spend the rest of the week on the couch with my foot elevated to bring the swelling down.

And that was about it.

 

Adventures in dogsitting

So a month ago, I dogsat for my friend WH. Now, normally dogsitting is not that big of a deal right? The difference here is that she has two dogs who HATE each other. They cannot be in the same room with each other at all, or a big fight will start. So there’s a whole system of babygates and closed doors to keep them apart. But if they got together without anyone there to break it up, they would probably kill each other.

No pressure right?

Needless to say, I was a bit nervous about this. Every time I left that weekend, I was worried I had missed a door or a gate, and I’d come home to find a dead dog. Luckily, that didn’t happen.

Individually, they are both sweet dogs. One of them is silly and goofy (despite being almost 13)…

and the other is super cuddly…

Besides hanging out with the dogs, it was so nice to have a place to myself for so long. Plus, she has cable! So I got to watch a lot of bad TV – all in the name of hanging out with the dogs, right?

Apparently my friend thought it went well on her end too, because she asked me to do it again for a weekend in June. Of course, I said yes. I can’t wait. Plus, I don’t think I’ll have the anxiety every time I leave this time. So it should be good. Especially if my foot is better by then.

Weekly roundup

Last week, I…

*Had dance lessons with a different teacher while mine was on vacation. It’s always interesting to work with another teacher. But it makes me appreciate how well my regular teacher and me work together. Not that the exchange lessons weren’t great – they were, just not as great as my regular lessons.

*Started dog-sitting for a friend of mine. My two companions:

     

More on our adventures soon.

*Practiced at the studio again with my friend SH. I really enjoy that. It’s like having a workout buddy. But for dancing. But it’s not a dance partner. You know what I mean.

*Wondered what I should be writing about on my blog.

*Watched “The Count of Monte Cristo” with my book club. We had just read it for book club, so we watched the movie as a group. That was fun! We’re reading “The Great Gatsby” for this month, so maybe we’ll watch that when the new movie version comes out in May.

*Went for frozen yogurt with SP because it’s spring. Kinda. Because this is totally a spring forecast:

I don’t know why it says Mendota Heights when I’m in St Paul.

No? Oh well. It is what it is. I want it to get warmer just so people stop complaining ALL THE TIME about the weather.

*Worked out A LOT. Which felt great. And tiring.

All in all, a pretty awesome week!

Focus on me

Before the holidays, I stopped focusing on food and exercise. OK let’s be honest – it was probably way before the holidays. But right before the holidays, I made a deliberate choice to not put a high priority on those areas. I still tried to follow my meal plan and to workout, but I was putting too much pressure on myself trying to meet my obligations in these areas. I became too concerned about what I “should” be doing, and that caused a lot of guilt. (Hello, Catholic upbringing!)

And I’ve done OK with working out. I’ve run a few 5Ks and have made it to the gym 1-2 times per week.

I didn’t win. I’m just happy I finished them!

But I was noticing that my weight was creeping up. Not much, just 5 pounds. But since I was 5 pounds from my goal, I’m now 10 pounds from my goal. And I wasn’t worried because those 5 pounds were added over like 4 months.

I figured I needed to address those last 10 pounds, partially because if I just focused for a short period of time, I could really make a difference. I have one friend who’s lost about 40 pounds in just under a year through diet and exercise. I have another friend who is trying to lose a lot – maybe a 100? – pounds. If they can do it, what excuse do I have?

Plus, I have the motivation of wanting to be in the best shape possible as a dancer. I want to look good on the dance floor. I’ll never look THIN – I’m too curvy for that. But I want to look GOOD while I’m dancing. And being in great shape will help my dancing. That was my motivation for running and losing weight in the first place – dance.

I had worked with Kelly, an awesome nutritionist before. I love her approach – it’s not just about the number on the scale. For her, it’s what your body fat percentage is. For me, it’s that and how my clothes fit.

So I had a few sessions with Kelly on the books still. So I felt like it was time to focus on this again, so I met with her last Monday.

While I have gained weight, the good news is some of it was muscle mass. My body fat percentage went up only about 1%. Yes! Kelly said if I focus on the food (sticking to the plan) and increase my working out, I could meet my goal in about 6 weeks. Which is right about when Showcase is. So that’s perfect.

I had already made my food for the week, so I knew my food was going to be a bit off that first week. But I could do the working out. The goal is 30 minutes of cardio five times a week. OY. For strength training, I’m aiming for 4 times a week. ZOIKES. And none of that counts dance or yoga. With my schedule, that fifth day of cardio will be tough to fit in. Unless I split it in two and did a short run two mornings a week before work. Hmm.

So last week, here is what I did:

Monday: 20 minutes yoga before work, 30 minute run after work
Tuesday: 20 minutes yoga before work, 45 minute dance practice party
Wednesday: 20 minutes yoga before work, 45 minutes of dance practice, 45 minute dance lesson
Thursday: 20 minutes yoga before work, 30 minute run after work, 20 minute strength training, 45 minute dance group class, 45 minute dance practice party
Friday: 20 minutes yoga before work
Saturday: 30 minute run, 20 minute strength training, 45 minute dance group class
Today: 35 minute bike

I DID IT. And I feel GOOD. I think I’m getting to the point that my body really wants to be moving this much. I’m going to try to keep this pace up.

I need your help though: Keep me accountable on food (no treats!) and exercise. I’ll lay it out for you…right now I’m 139 pounds with a body fat percentage of 25.15%. I want those numbers – in particular the body fat percentage – DOWN even though it’s in the healthy range. My BMI is pretty normal too.

Showcase is May 19. Let’s see how far I can get by then.

No kids, no topics

My blog is small. Which is totally fine. I’m not in this to make money or have thousands of readers. (Good thing – I’d be sorely disappointed!) I write mainly as a form of therapy and to entertain the 3 of you who actually read this. Oh, and thanks to the 3 of you!

Part of the reason I haven’t been writing more is a lack of topics. There hasn’t been drama in my life to rant about. Which is good, I guess. But I also feel like I don’t have a topic I can go back to all the time.

I don’t have kids. And I don’t develop food recipes. And those two things seem to be easy topics to go back to for inspiration.

Kids always have great stories. I got a good post out of my friend’s kids when I babysat. And if I had kids, they’d be an easy source for post ideas.

I cook and bake but always using someone else’s recipes. So if I write about them, it’d be nothing new really.

If I write about dancing, I want to be respectful of my teacher’s privacy. And I wonder…do you really want to hear all the details about my lessons and the technique and where I struggle? I think it’d be boring for you.

As I write this though, I realize…it really shouldn’t matter what you want to hear, right? I should write about what I want to write about, regardless if it’s interesting to you. (Watch for some posts on Cuban motion then.) So I’ll start writing again, and you can read what you want. (Let me know if there is something you’d like to hear me talk about.)

In the meantime, here is one thing I’m good at posting….T-Rex!

Yep, still makes me laugh out loud.

Shiny objects…and more!

Who loves shiny objects? This girl, especially when it comes to dancing.

Maybe makeup is more your thing? I get that. I wish I was better at it, so I’m envious that you can work with it.

Are you a fashionista? Always looking for the new look?

Well, I have something for ALL OF YOU. I’m hosting an online mark. beauty party. You should check it out…makeup, skincare, fragrance, bath & body, haircare, fashion, accessories…they have it all!

I usually don’t host these type of parties, but I really do love this stuff. I hope you check it out! Orders will be taken through Monday only! So you better hurry up. Because seriously, you don’t want to miss this!

Daily prompt: Prized possession

Daily prompt from April 2: Describe an item you were incredibly attached to as a child. What became of it?

I don’t remember having a lot of “prized possessions” as a child. I had the usual books and toys and stuff. I still have some of those books: my Little House books, my Betsy-Tacy books, my All-of-a-Kind Family books. I still have my Fisher-Price circus train.

This isn’t mine; mine’s in a box in the basement.

But my most treasured possession from my childhood is my teddy bear. I was in the hospital for a surgery over my third birthday. I still remember a friend of my mom’s coming to see me and bringing me this teddy bear as a gift. I called him Teddy (original, right?) and I slept with it every night as a kid. And when I stopped sleeping with it, I made sure it didn’t get thrown out.

He went to college with me, sitting on a shelf in the dorms. While I was married, he sat on a bookshelf in the kitchen. During that time, I found a cute little wooden rocker that is designed for dolls, I think. But it was the perfect size for him, so I got it. He’s been sitting in the rocker ever since. When I moved home to help my parents, he sat in the rocker in my room. Now in this apartment, he sits in the rocker on my nightstand.

He was a great source of security for me as a kid. And as a result, he means a great deal to me. So much, that I panicked this week for a split second. We’re dogsitting for a friend. Tony is a two-year-old lab mix. That equals great energy. One night this week, he was wandering around. He went in my room and took Teddy off the rocker and started carrying him around. I’m sure Tony just thought he was a stuffed dog toy. Luckily Tony dropped him as soon as I told him too. But I had visions of Teddy being chewed up. Teddy’s been through quite a few surgeries already in his life to fix holes. I didn’t want to have to do more. And for a brief moment, I was terrified that Teddy would be destroyed. And that would be devastating.

But he’s fine, he’s sitting in his rocker in my room, and I know I’ll have him for the rest of my life.

Weekly roundup

In the last two (sheesh, I’m behind) weeks, I…

*FINALLY shared some of the amazing recipes I’ve made lately, including a super one for homemade peanut cups.

My friend LG read about them and tried them the very next day and loved them.

*Had a book club meeting where we finished “The Count of Monte Cristo”. It was a loonnnnggg book, and I had the abridged version (by mistake.) I’d like to go back and read the full version someday because I do feel like I missed some details. Someday.

*Went for coffee with my niece LB who was home from college for spring break. So fun to see her!

*Enjoyed a very lovely day off, including a long run outside. Well, long for me…about 2 miles. Slow (about 10:45 per mile), but still, I ran them all!

*Was all fancy and had dinner with my friend SH at a private club in St Paul. So posh.

*Saw the hand surgeon about my wrist. Surgery is scheduled for the end of May.

*Had dinner with my friend SP. And we tried a fantastic place for dessert. SO GOOD. And I could feel the diabetes setting in just walking in the door.

*Practiced at the studio. I do dance homework at home, but some things you just need the studio space for. But I hate practicing at the studio. Which is silly and ridiculous but true. My friend SH feels the exact same way, except I don’t think she practices at home. So we made a pact to meet at the studio once a week to practice. We did it last week for the first time, and it was great. Like having a workout buddy but with dance.

*Caught up with the fabulous KB over coffee. Alas, it was way too short – we didn’t cover everything!

*Took a knitting class with DF. It was great because she had never knit, and I learned some basic things (cough cough cast-on) that I never really learned properly.

*Had Easter dinner with the family.

Weekly roundup

Last week, I…

*Got a Kindle Fire!

And it’s awesome.

*Went to the doctor and learned I need to have hand surgery soon to remove a cyst on my wrist. Luckily it shouldn’t interfere with my life too much. But still annoying. I find out more next week.

*Waged war on the mice.

Cotton balls with peppermint oil on them in tea defusers. And dryer sheets. Our house smelled like peppermint linen for a while. Then the smell dissipated, and we saw signs of the mice again. So more peppermint oil, more dryer sheets, and refresh both more often.

*Had dinner with MH and heard about her amazing trip to Belize.

*Saw “Searching for Sugar Man” with SP. It is a great movie – well deserving of the Oscar it received. Go see it. And then go listen to the music.

*Made these…

More on those soon!

*Finished “The Great Gatsby” for book club.

New technology

Every year, I get a tax refund. I plan it that way. My friend DP is appalled by that. He firmly believes that you shouldn’t pay more than you owe. Ever. I get that it’s my money and that I’m lending it to the government for free. But really, if I saved that money, what kind of interest would I really be earning? Even if interest rates were good, I’d still want a refund. To me, it’s like bonus money.

This year, I’m being responsible with most of it. But I did take some of it and get something I’ve wanted for a long time.

A Kindle Fire!!

I’m writing this post on the WordPress app on it right now. It’s not easy as a computer, but it’s pretty handy. Plus I’ve already started reading a book on it over lunch, which was great. I love the portability of it. So much easier than a big book!

So I’m excited. I think this is going to be great, especially if I have downtime at the studio and over lunch. This was a good buy for me.

Even if it means the government got my money for free last year.