How the Pandemic Affected My Weight, Eating and Drinking Habits, Exercise, etc.

On March 11 of last year, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. It's crazy to think that it's been a whole year! SO MUCH has changed in that amount of time, even though it feels like days have been the same for weeks and months on end.

I've been very curious about how the pandemic and social distancing has affected people's health and wellness--mentally and physically. It's definitely changed my habits (good and bad) and from what I've read, it's changed a lot of others' habits as well.

I'm hoping that I can write this post without people judging me. There are several things I should have done differently, but I had no idea how long this was going to be going on, nor could I predict anything that was going to happen in the future. So I write this just because I'm curious about others' experiences, so I might as well share mine.

One of the first things that changed was my grocery shopping. Because we were told to stay home as much as possible, I went to the store far less often (at most once every two weeks). This meant that we had didn't have fresh food beyond a week or so before we started eating from the freezer and/or convenience foods from the pantry. We were eating a lot of frozen pizzas!

I stayed extremely busy and active while insulating and drywalling the garage. I wasn't doing formal exercise, but I was working REALLY hard lifting drywall and climbing up and down the ladder over and over again. Nothing sounds better after a sweaty day of work than a cold beer--and after not drinking at all for 2019 (it was a challenge I made for myself), I started drinking again in 2020. All the beer companies make hard seltzers now, and those tasted amazing when I was done in the garage for the day.

That turned into a bad habit. I knew I should quit, so the 75 Hard Challenge happened to come up at just the right time (alcohol is not allowed during the challenge). After the challenge, though, I went back to having wine or hard seltzers at the end of the day. I made a couple of attempts to quit again, but I didn't really feel the motivation to put in the effort.

(Recently, though, I did quit--today is Day 30, actually. It's made a huge difference in my energy levels, so I remind myself of that every day.) Anyway, I know that the pandemic played a role in alcohol consumption.

I'm sure that alcohol played a role in my weight gain, also. I was doing pretty well with intermittent fasting, planning to have nothing but water after dinner until I went to bed. But I'd usually cave and have wine, so it ended up being a wash. 

I haven't kept good track of my weight at all in the past couple of years, but I believe I was at 179 at the start of the pandemic and now I'm at 185. I'd lost 13 pounds during the 75 Hard Challenge, but gained it back.

For the whole year, I have been doing really well with the intermittent fasting--until nearly bedtime. It's ridiculous, really--I need to just go to bed early. But I've always had something to look forward to at night--when I was losing weight I had some sort of dessert every evening, sometimes popcorn, then for a long time I had a small glass of wine and a Dove Promise, and eventually just wine. But regardless of what it was, I always looked forward to it. I wish I could say that a cup of tea or something would do the trick, but it just doesn't have that same effect. I'm still trying, though! I've been making Sleepytime tea and reading or playing Best Fiends to relax at night.

I will say that I drank a LOT of water over the last year--I was always thirsty while pouring sweat in the garage, and then I did the 75 Hard Challenge (having to drink a gallon a day). I definitely didn't get enough water late last year because of the weather, but for the last several weeks I've been drinking a gallon every day. (My sister challenged me to do something for 100 days, and I chose drinking a gallon of water.)

Some good to come out of not going to the grocery store very often is that we used up a ton of what we had stocked in the pantry and freezer. I got creative with throwing things together, even when we got down to the bare bones of groceries. Another bonus is that we saved a ton of money. Whenever I go grocery shopping, I end up buying things that aren't on my list, so it costs a lot more. When I'm only shopping once every 2-3 weeks, it eliminates all of the extra spending.

The biggest change of all during the pandemic was my exercise. I went from zero intentional exercise to 90 minutes a day, 7 days a week, from July until just a couple of weeks ago. I did mostly walking--at first, I did 45 minutes twice a day; eventually, I did the whole 90 minutes once a day. I put hundreds of miles on my shoes and listened to dozens of audiobooks.

And now I am injured (unrelated to the exercise--I wrote about it here). However, the months of exercise lit a fire under me and it made me WANT to do it. I was really excited about getting back into running (and I still hope to be able to do that once my knee heals).

As far as current eating habits, I'm still not grocery shopping nearly as much as I did before the pandemic, but I'm going a little more frequently. I've been cooking almost every day (although we always have a couple of pizzas in the freezer, just in case. I have been cooking a heritage recipe every week which has been really fun to discover new (old) recipes.

Oh! Another bad habit? Wearing black stretchy pants every day instead of jeans! I can't be the only one, can I? ;)

After airing all my dirty laundry about my bad pandemic habits, I am SUPER curious how the pandemic has affected other people--so I'm going to post a poll. This is completely anonymous (Even I won't know who you are). It will just tally up answers and I can share the poll graphs in a few days. Remember, it's totally anonymous!

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Affirmators! Week 4: Connection

Affirmators! are cards that contain positive affirmations. My friend John sent me a deck of them and I decided that I'll read one per week and then try to utilize that affirmation. So that's what this Affirmators! series is about.

Last week, my card was about authenticity and being true to myself. I don't have too much trouble with that one, especially as I get older and I care less and less about what others think of me. (Of course I want people to like me, but only if they like the authentic me--I don't want to change who I am just to please someone else.) I don't expect everyone to like me, just as I don't like every person I meet. I think that everybody should be their authentic selves, which will make them draw like-minded people to them and form connections. Which leads me to this week's card...

When I drew today's card, I was tempted to replace it and draw another. However, it really is relevant to me and actually very relevant with all that is going on with this COVID pandemic. Today's card was about Connection.

In case you can't read it, here is what it says:

"I'm connected to the multitudes, and I can access their support at any time. Even a stranger offers a sense of comfort when they smile at me or make a dumb comment about the weather. Everyone is waiting to connect... all I need to do is open myself up and pay attention. (Not to self: work on witty banter about weather-related stuff.)"

As an introvert, I have a VERY hard time making small talk with people. It's something that has bothered me my whole life. I've always wanted to be one of those people who naturally just thinks of things to say and start up conversations with total strangers in the grocery line or waiting for a bus or something. I usually just feel extremely uncomfortable while I try to think of something to say.

I'm also very shy. If I do manage to say something, I think about it in my head over and over, wishing I'd said something different or wondering if it sounded dumb.

Last week, I reached out a bit--out of my comfort zone, anyway. I have an app called 'nextdoor', which is a little social media bulletin for our neighborhood (and surrounding neighborhoods). Most of the time, people use it to bitch about everything--dogs running loose, people driving too fast, loud music, etc. It's really negative and I've thought about deleting it, but I do like to see if anything is going on in the neighborhood.

When I was walking every day, I noticed that someone had thrown a mattress in the canal. WHY, I have no idea. But it's trashy! People dump their old furniture in the canal so they don't have to deal with it (all you have to do to get rid of it is to call a phone number for a pick-up). Anyway, someone posted about it on 'nextdoor', complaining about how trashy the neighborhood is, etc. People complain but nobody ever does anything about it.

A woman named Monika said that she has a truck and would anyone be willing to help her haul it out of the canal? I volunteered to help her (it sounds like such a little thing, but it made me nervous because I didn't know her). Anyway, we agreed to meet that morning, and I rode my bike over there. Monika was super nice!

The mattress was like a giant sponge (it was a memory foam mattress) and SO SO heavy! The water smelled terrible, but we heave-hoed and inched our way up the embankment with the mattress. We managed to load it into the bed of her truck. She offered to take it home and call the number for a pick-up.

As simple as that, the mattress was out of the canal--and it only took a week's worth of people bitching about it. Another woman who had seen the post asked if anyone would be interested in doing a neighborhood clean-up day. The thought of that makes me nervous, too, because it would be lots of people I don't know (or who knows, maybe only a few of us would show up) but I said to count me in. I'm trying to get more comfortable with meeting new people and with making small talk.

I really like this Affirmators! card today. I do need to work on witty banter about weather-related stuff, haha. Or at least something other than, "I just wish this pandemic was over already." (Same thing everyone says to each other now.)

I do try to keep in mind that maybe other people feel the same way I do and they are trying just as hard to come up with something to say. It's not that I don't WANT to talk to people--I just never know what to say. I would love to make a connection with people of all types, even if it's just for a moment in the grocery line. :)

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On This Day...

I've not had a good day today--at all. I'm feeling very sorry for myself about my knee because I want to walk and ride my bike and even run! I'm not looking for sympathy, just saying that I'm having a bad day. Usually on Saturdays I post a heritage recipe, but I didn't even attempt to make one today (I did some cleaning though, so at least I was productive).

I don't really want to write, but I had an idea that might be fun. I searched my photos for "March 13" and I figured I'd post some photos from this day through the years...

2006: Nathan came home on leave from serving in Iraq and we surprised my mom at work (she had no idea he was coming home). Jeanie came in from Illinois, Brian came in from Minnesota, and I was there, of course. First, Jeanie walked into the office and my mom was surprised to see her, but not totally shocked. Then Brian came in--and she was definitely bewildered. Then I came in. And finally, Nathan. She was SO surprised (and thrilled, of course!)

2007: I have no idea why I took this picture, but my kids were eating grapes.

2010: I did my first "long walk" to train for the Indy 500 Festival Mini Marathon. I walked 5 miles on the treadmill, and I was pouring sweat. But very proud.

2015: Early in the morning, Noah was reading out loud to Eli and Joey.

2015: Jerry and I were training for the Detroit Free Press Half-Marathon. We got in this run/walk before I headed to the airport...

To go to Portland for my first time!! Thomas, Laurel, and I had drinks and then I had to check out Voodoo Doughnut. Definitely didn't live up to the hype, but I think it's something most tourists try ;)

2017: The nightmare of Noah's splinter. You can read the whole insane story here. 

2018: Jerry and one of my most favorite cousins, Shannon. Unfortunately, we were at my cousin Jeff's funeral, but it was really nice to see so many cousins!

2018: My mom wanted to get a photo of us because we were dressed up.

2019: Eli feeding Tuck, our original "pet" squirrel. He died last year, but he is the squirrel that made us REALLY fall in love with squirrels.

This was actually a fun post to do. A way to go down memory lane!

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Friday Night Photos

I was worried I wasn't going to be able to post today. Our electricity went out (I think it was due to high winds) and my phone battery was only at 10%. Thankfully, the power was restored in time for me to get a post done. My Friday Night Photos post!

I don't have many pictures from this week, though. I spent a lot of time in the garage working on some projects, which made me happy. I even got to open up the doors today because the weather was a little warmer.

Duck's been cuddling up against my neck and shoulder again in the mornings. He used to sleep on my head, and I miss that! But he's gotten huge (he weighs the most out of all four cats) and there is no way he could fit on my head. I love having him cuddle up with me--although he's hard to see in this photo!

The canvas frame I was working on for my dad is finally finished! It took much longer than anticipated, but I'm glad I didn't screw it up. I'd never made a frame before.

I decided to knock something off of my 40 Goals by 40 Years Old list and plant a couple of things. I hate gardening but I thought it would be fun to try to grow a vegetable or herb this year. I couldn't decide between peppers or basil, so I bought both. I planted them in these little pots and then I'm supposed to transfer them outside later on. We'll see if they work out. I would love to get some peppers!

I saw this bumper sticker the other day and it's my most favorite bumper sticker I've ever seen. Bonus points for being on a minivan. 

This thing is actually quite hideous--now I know why the yellow color was on clearance in Lowe's--but I don't want to repaint it. What is it, you ask? It's a "stuffed animal zoo" for Luke and Riley. They can keep their stuffed animals in there (if you google it, you'll see tons of pictures of them). Becky asked me to make one for them. All I have left to do is paint their names on it.

I bought The Oregon Trail board game and Jerry and I played it. I loved that computer game SO much. This was a fun game--I don't like it as much as Ticket to Ride (our current favorite) but it was a little nostalgic.

Finally, here is a project I've been working on for the longest time. I wanted an ottoman, so I build a little base out of wood and painted it. Then I just wanted to make a cushion for the top. I put it off for the longest time and I finally made one. (Yes, it looks a bit ridiculous being so poofy--but that's what I wanted!)

This one is kind of unique because of the way I connected it to the base. I made four little wings that come off of the bottom of the pillow and each end has a buttonhole. I put a dowel in the center underneath the top of the base (see second photo), and the buttonholes slide over it to hold the cushion on without it being there permanently. (The base can be used as a little table or something if needed)

And that's all she wrote! Have a great weekend :) 

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My March Book Review: 'West With Giraffes' by Lynda Rutledge (and a giveaway!!)

I'm doing a Friends-themed read-athon for 2021, and each month there is a different "Friends-based" theme to choose a book. This month, the theme was "The One With the Chick and the Duck"--we were to choose a book that had an animal in it.

This was kind of tough for me, because the books I read typically don't have animals in them. I remembered that I had gotten a book recently from Amazon's First Reads about an elephant or giraffe or something. Amazon First Reads is where you can choose from a short list once a month to get a book for free. I read through the books for that month and just could't decide... honestly, NONE of them looked good to me. 

I eventually just chose the one called 'West With Giraffes', by Lynda Rutledge. I wasn't excited about reading it, but I wanted to stick with the theme.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I read the very first sentence of the prologue and I was hooked immediately. I loved the poetic, whimsical play with the words. (If you're not into that, don't worry--it's really only in the prologue.)

"Woodrow Wilson Nickel died in the year 2025, on a usual day, in the unusual way, at the rather unusual age of 105.

A century and a nickel."

I will start by saying that the second I finished this book, I moved it into the Top 3 books I've ever read. THAT'S how good it is! I have to say, though, that no matter what I write on this post, it won't do justice to this book. You need to read it yourself!

Here is the description from the publisher:

"An emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America.

“Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes…”

Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the unforgettable experience he cannot take to his grave.

It’s 1938. The Great Depression lingers. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California’s first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. Behind the wheel is the young Dust Bowl rowdy Woodrow. Inspired by true events, the tale weaves real-life figures with fictional ones, including the world’s first female zoo director, a crusty old man with a past, a young female photographer with a secret, and assorted reprobates as spotty as the giraffes.

Part adventure, part historical saga, and part coming-of-age love story, West with Giraffes explores what it means to be changed by the grace of animals, the kindness of strangers, the passing of time, and a story told before it’s too late."

The description kind of lost me because of the historical references--I'm NOT a history buff and I was afraid I'd be bored reading it. But I would call this book a historical adventure with several parts that will keep your heart racing.

The story is told by a man living his last days in a nursing home as he writes his story. It reminded me of The Green Mile (movie) where Tom Hanks' character is ridiculously old and he tells the whole story of The Green Mile to a woman at the nursing home where he lives.

The synopsis of the book sounded ordinary to me, and I can't say I was excited to read it. But I got caught up in it so quickly that I couldn't stop.

No spoilers here...

Woody Wilson is a 17-year old boy from the Texas Panhandle in the 1930's. His parents and baby sister died in the Dust Bowl and Woody makes his way to New York City to find his only known/living relative, Cuz. He has no money, no possessions, and no real direction for his life.

In 1938, there was a terrible hurricane that caused massive destruction to New York. Woody happens to be standing nearby when a cargo ship that had two giraffes aboard (who were bound for the San Diego Zoo), arrives at shore after disastrous damage to the ship. One of the giraffes is hurt and the cage is crushed around her. A man from the zoo shows up to drive the giraffes across the country to the zoo, and that's where the whole adventure begins.

Woody has heard all about "Californy" and his dream is to go there and start a new glamorous life. He plots to try to follow the giraffes to California, which proves more difficult than he hoped. But he doesn't give up.

I really wish the book had included a photo of the truck that the giraffes were driven in, but I found this one online. It's not at all what I pictured, but it's cool to see!

An actual photo of the truck that the giraffes were driven across the country on.

I'll stop here, because I don't want to give anything away. But this book is VERY adventurous and kept me on my toes the entire time.

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My sister doesn't want to read it because she's worried about animal cruelty, so I'll write a little about that here. I can't stand reading about animal cruelty, but this book is overall a feel-good adventure story. These aren't major spoilers, but I'll write the couple of things that you may want to know if you're worried about animal cruelty... So I'll give a SPOILER WARNING HERE. 

If you want to skip over it, just skip to the horizontal line break.

I will start out by spoiling the ending (kind of) and saying that the animals arrive safely in San Diego. Other than the female hurting her leg in the hurricane, they are uninjured.

There is a part where a circus tries to steal the giraffes and the giraffes are panicking. The circus people aren't being gentle, and wrangle the female with a rope, but she is uninjured when all is said and done.

A couple of moments are flashbacks from Woody's childhood where his dad teaches him about animals and that they are "just animals" (basically worthless for anything that can't be beneficial to humans.

"I knew all about animals. Some you worked, some you milked, some you ate, some you shot, and that was that. You learned early not to make a pig a pal or your pa would soon be forcing you to thank Jesus for the blessing of eating everything but its squeal."

There is a part where they come across a gas station with a "zoo" in the middle of nowhere in the desert, and the man who owns it is cruel to his "attractions"--a bear, a rattlesnake, a tiger (?), and some rabbits. He grabs a rabbit and drops it onto the cage of the tiger, who eats it right away. 

Finally, the last thing I can think of is that Woody describes his last day at home in Texas, where his father forced him to put down his horse with a rifle. It's a little hard to read, but it's a memory of Woody's, rather than happening in real time, which makes it a little easier.

Overall, I don't think that the subject of animal cruelty is present enough in this book to keep anyone from reading it. It has a happy ending.

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Okay, no more spoilers. I am not a history buff and reading about history bores me, but there are some interesting factual events in this book (like the Dust Bowl in Texas and the New England Hurricane). Forrest Gump is my very favorite movie, and the best part about it is how he manages to be in the center of all sorts of historical events. This book kind of reminded me of that.

This book is AMAZING and it's one of those books that you just can't forget. It really sticks with you. I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone--from about 12 years old and up, whether you're an "animal person" or not, or interested in history or not. I especially think that teen boys would really like it. I'm going to try to convince my kids to read it--they don't like to take suggestions from their mom, because I'm so uncool ;)

I'm SO glad that I picked it out for my First Reads book. Because I loved this book so much, I bought a paperback copy to give to my dad, and I'd also like to buy a Kindle copy to give away to one of you! (It can be read with the Kindle app on any device.)

To enter the giveaway, just fill out this form below. And if you end up buying a copy, I'd be grateful if you used this link (it's an Amazon affiliate link, which just means that I may get a small commission for linking to it--but it doesn't cost you any more).

I will draw a winner for the giveaway on March 19th at 9:00 AM ET and notify the winner by email. 

ETA: Ugh, this form wasn't working because I forgot to change the permissions last night. But I just updated it and it's working now! Sorry.

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Overcoming Obstacles

Well, I'm beginning to think that maintaining my exercise streak just wasn't meant to be. I did not do any intentional exercise yesterday, so it broke the streak I started on July 20th. Interestingly, I actually feel a little relieved--I don't feel the pressure that I'd put on myself to keep it going.

I didn't intend to break the streak, though. My toe was actually feeling a lot better yesterday and I decided that I'd try to walk a couple of miles, and then ride my bike to finish my five miles for the day. In the morning, I went out to the garage to work on my dad's picture frame (I still hadn't painted it) and to make another throw pillow cover.

After that, I wanted to see if I could figure out the problem with my bike. It was making grinding noises whenever I would change gears, so I had to keep it on one particular gear the whole time I was riding. I wanted to fix that problem because it would be nice to change gears when needed!

I spent quite a bit of time figuring out the mechanics of how the gears worked, and I discovered just how dirty they were--I had never cleaned them before! I guess I just never thought about it. They didn't look dirty until I saw them up close. There was a lot of dirt caked on the gears, so I chiseled away at that with my fingernail (I eventually went inside and got an old toothbrush).

I used some tools to adjust parts here and there and see if I could solve the grinding issue. And that's when it happened. I had been squatting down and then to get a better look at one part, I dropped down to my knees--and my right knee landed (with all my weight) onto a screwdriver. The screwdriver was lying on its side, obviously, but the length of it went directly across that little groove underneath my kneecap. You know the little spot that the doctor taps with a tiny hammer to check your reflexes? Yeah, that spot landed hard right on top of the screwdriver.

The pain was so bad it took my breath away and I couldn't inhale. I fell onto my back, just waiting for the pain to let up--I assumed it was like when you bang into something and it hurts for a minute, but starts to subside. This pain felt like it would never end. I laid on the concrete floor moaning, writhing, cursing, and crying. I knew it was bad.

From what I've read, I think I injured the patellar tendon, which connects the patella (knee cap) to the tibia (lower leg bone). I'm sure it's not completely torn because I can still straighten my leg and my patella isn't floating around in there. But it still hurts like a bitch and it makes cracking noises when I straighten my leg.

It's kind of ironic, actually, that I was working on my bike to go for a ride when I injured my knee on one of the tools I was using and now I can't ride my bike. (The good news is that I fixed the problem with my bike, though--it only ended up needing a tiny adjustment of two little screws. And a thorough cleaning and lubing.)

The treatment for the injury is basically just rest, ice, and anti-inflammatories--rest being most important. I'm super bummed! I was really excited about doing the Couch to 5K and about riding my bike again. I'm really hoping that once my knee is better, I'll still have the drive to want to continue with the exercise (even if I don't do as much of it). I really want to do the Couch to 5K.

I also really wanted to work hard on getting back in shape and feeling good about myself before going up north in July. My whole family is going to my sister's property in the upper peninsula again, and we are hiring a photographer to take family photos. I know I'm not going to be at my goal weight by then, but I'd really like to feel good enough about the pictures that I won't cringe or be too embarrassed to post them.

I'm still going to do the best I can, despite the exercise. I've been doing pretty good with how I've been eating and my clothes have been feeling a little looser. I don't want to weigh myself for a while, so as not to get discouraged if I'm not seeing results on the scale. The number on the scale doesn't mean nearly as much as it used to, but seeing the scale go down is encouraging--so I think if I only weigh in every two weeks or so, it'll be a good compromise.

I feel kind of proud that I haven't let the little things derail me. When I was walking every day, I was so sure that if I missed a day I would just say, "Screw it!" and fall apart with all of the healthy habits I've been working on. In the past, that almost certainly would have happened; but I've been looking at everything differently recently.

I'm not looking at "end goals" but more of "daily lifestyle forever"--I wrote a post about it recently. The walking streak definitely helped me to develop some discipline, which I needed. And that discipline helped me to work on other habits as well. What I want most right now is to FEEL good--and the habits I've been working on are habits that make me feel my best.

It's a nice change not to be focused on weight goals and running goals and challenges. I like having goals, and I think there is a place for them, but right now I just want to focus on being happy and feeling my best.

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Transformation Tuesday #17

I have a variety of Transformation Posts to share today... thank you so much for sending them in! I have a few more to share next week, but it helps if you get them emailed sooner rather than later so I can prep the posts ahead of time. Please keep them coming!

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I previously shared my DIY dining room. This one is of my son’s room. I had a million projects started, but a couple weeks ago when my son said he wanted his room done, I couldn’t help but stop everything and jump on it. His room was extremely feminine when we purchased the home. He loves Nascar and Richard Petty, and gave me his favorite car to use as inspiration. I thought the blue might be a bit much in his room, so I just did his bathroom in it. I used duct tape around his mirror to add the bright orange! That is my favorite part...duct tape! I put the peel and stick vinyl tiles down in his bathroom in the cool checkered pattern (I still have a couple to do around the toilet). His desk is an adjustable work bench! He loves how it turned out!

- Valerie Kendall, Owasso, Oklahoma

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I have a small dog who is my little shadow and my closest companion, he knows all my secrets!  BUT...he pees on my carpet and rugs. If I wasn't so in love with him I would have tried to re-home him a long time ago, but I absolutely adore the little guy and I just can’t do it. We have tried and tried to train him not to pee in the house, but he has separation anxiety and when I’m not home he still resorts to peeing in the house. It’s easy to replace my rugs, but no matter how much we clean our carpets, we just couldn't get the smell out of the house.

So we decided to remove all of the carpet and install luxury vinyl flooring.  The living areas and bathrooms are all tile, but the stairs, landings and bedrooms were all carpet. Some of the rooms are still a mess and not ready to share, but here is the transformation on the stairs and the master bedroom.  I’ll send my office and our home gym when we get those finished.

We did the vinyl on the steps but I wanted the white front for a more classic look.  My stepdad did the installation while my husband and I moved furniture, scraped caulking, patched and painted the walls.

Here is the bedroom (I forgot to take a before photo until after we removed the headboard and platform for our bed). All the furniture is the same in the before and afters.

- Shanon, dog lover and DIY'er

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I have struggled with my weight all of my life. At one point I had lost 150 pounds and felt great physically. But my mental health got worse, I struggled, and gained 90 of it back.

I have worked hard on my mental health, got pregnant, and had my baby boy in August. Now it's time to focus on myself physically!

I started Weight Watchers in December, but did not actually start trying until January 1. As of the end of February, I am down 15 pounds! 

- Alli, Germany, New Mama, and focusing on me

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Valerie, that does not even look like the same bedroom--holy cow! I don't blame your son one bit for wanting a change ;)  I love the creativity.

Shanon, I LOVE my luxury vinyl planking, and I'm sure you will love having it, too! You are one patient dog-mom and he's very lucky to have you. The flooring looks great!

Alli, you look AMAZING. I can't believe what a huge difference there is in just a couple of months! That has to be super motivating to keep going. And a big congrats on the new baby!

To submit a Transformation Tuesday (please do--I love these posts!) just send me an email including a before photo and an after photo, along with a description of the transformation. Include your name, location, and what you like to do (if you feel comfortable sharing). You can send it to: katie (at) runsforcookies (dot) com. I will post them in the order that I receive them or if I have enough for a certain category, I might do that.

Remember, transformations can be about ANYTHING--organizing a closet, upcycling an article of clothing or furniture, a new hair style, a before and after of telling your dog he's a good boy, etc. There is no transformation that is considered boring, I promise!

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What do you meme?

I had the strangest night. I've been trying to go to bed early (10:00) every night, but it's super hard for me to fall asleep that early, even when I take an over the counter sleeping pill. Last night, I took an anxiety pill because they shut off all the thoughts racing through my mind at night and help me sleep--like a rock. I don't take them for that reason very often, but I needed a good night's sleep.

I locked up the house and was actually getting drowsy by 7:30. I hadn't taken an anxiety pill in a while, so it must have hit harder or something. I got into bed to read at 8:00 and was drifting asleep by 8:15. I just went with it and fell asleep. The next thing I know, I hear someone pounding on the front door in the middle of the night. I had been DEEP asleep and I was completely disoriented. Then I was scared--who would be at the door at that hour?

I went to the front door and called, "Who is it?" I heard, "It's me!" (Noah's voice). Then it hit me--it was only 10:30 pm and Noah was getting home from work. I'm usually awake at that time, so he didn't have his keys with him. Good grief, that was terrifying. Thankfully, even when I'm in a deep sleep, noises will wake me up--even if he had just knocked normally. I told him he needs to bring his keys with him, always.

Anyway! As you all know, I LOVE memes. There are memes for just about everything you can imagine, and when I'm feeling depressed or anxious or just feel in need of a good laugh, I like to browse through memes on Pinterest. I don't like to be annoying by posting them everywhere, because memes that are funny to me might be totally lame to others--it's all about what speaks to you personally. (Like these 100 mental illness memes I posted.)

When I came across this game on Amazon, it looked super fun. It's called "What Do You Meme?" and it has the same sort of play as Apples to Apples or Cards Against Humanity where the "judge" draws a card and each player has to pick a card from their hand that goes well with the judge's card. Then the judge chooses the one they think is best, and that player gets a point.

I got tired of Cards Against Humanity--it was fun for a while, but you can only take so many penis jokes before it just gets old. It all depends on who you're playing with, too. I like to pick cards that I think are clever and actually tie in well; other people just like to pick the funniest/oddest/raunchiest card they have, whether it makes sense or not. I still like the game! But I'm definitely in the mood for something new when getting together with friends. (Hopefully we can start doing "real" game nights with friends soon! That's one of the things I miss most since the pandemic.)

'What Do You Meme?' is so fun! The judge draws a card with a photo on it (something that has been used for several memes on the internet) and each player chooses a caption from the cards in their hand that they think best goes with the meme. Then the judge chooses their favorite caption and that player gets a point.

I love that the directions say, "The person with the most Instagram followers typically starts as the judge unless they bought followers or use 100 hashtags on each post. If you have a friend who does that, slap them firmly in the face." Haha!

Here are a few I threw together for examples:

I've been super into board games this past year, probably because there isn't much to do as far as entertainment goes with the pandemic keeping us at home. Jerry and I have been playing Ticket to Ride a lot lately, but I didn't want to get bored with it. Yesterday, I was killing time while Eli was driving with his instructor, and I saw an Oregon Trail board game. I LOVED The Oregon Trail on the computer (we played it at school a lot) and I thought it was one of those novelty nostalgia type games.

After reading some reviews on Amazon (I looked it up on my phone while I was debating buying it), I saw that people said it was actually a really good game that involves strategy. There is a nostalgic sense to it, but it's a good game whether you've played the computer game or not. I went ahead and bought it, but we haven't played it yet. Jerry and Noah are both off work today, so we're going to have a game night and try it out. Fun!

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Affirmators! - Week 3 - Authenticity

Last Sunday, I drew an Affirmators! card from the deck that John sent me. Affirmators! are cards that state a positive affirmation. Stealing John's idea, I am drawing one per week and then taping it to my bathroom mirror so that I see it frequently (and read it out loud).

Last week's affirmator was about going with the flow and accepting changes in life--life will have ups and downs and we can learn to handle them instead of letting it throw us off the rails.

I found that card to be very timely because I had to make a big change in my walking routine. I developed a bad blister that went deep and I finally got to the point where I couldn't walk on it anymore. Instead of letting that change completely derail me, I simply switched to riding my bike for five miles instead of walking.

I learned that changes can be good things! The first thing I noticed (other than not having the blisters continuing to pile on top of each other) was that my chronic pain got about 50% better right away. I used to walk around like an old lady, super stiff and in a lot of pain. After a day of not walking my five miles, my body felt better. I'd assumed that because I wasn't doing strenuous exercise, it was okay to do a streak without stopping. Clearly, my body wanted a break.

When I started riding my bike instead of walking, I instantly felt the difference in my pain levels. I didn't gasp or moan when standing up. I'd gotten so used to doing that, I thought it was just a typical part of chronic pain. I still feel pain but not as bad as it was when I was walking every day (it was my hips, hamstrings, knees, and ankles). So, I think that the change has been a good thing! I've been riding my bike instead and I feel good about it.

My blister is still healing. When the scab comes off (on its own--I don't pick at scabs) I'll start to walk/run on it again.

Today, I drew a new Affirmators! card, and was surprised to see that it's something I've already been practicing for the last four years now--ever since my bipolar diagnosis and meds.

My entire life, I was a people-pleaser. I didn't voice my opinions much because I didn't want to argue about something. I just let people talk and I listened. I was used to being "talked over" or interrupted in groups of people, so I stayed quiet.

In 2017, when I started taking my bipolar meds, that all changed. I suddenly didn't care what people thought of me for voicing my opinion. When I didn't want to do something, instead of making excuses for why I couldn't, I simply said no, it wasn't really something I was interested in. I quit feeling intimidated and feeling pushed into doing things that didn't interest me.

I finally felt authentic. And it was so freeing!

A funny example of this is when Renee and I were at baseball practice for the kids, we were facing each other and talking, and I noticed she kept looking at the left side of my face, near my ear. It's something she had been doing for YEARS--ever since we met in 2009 ish. I always wondered what she was looking at, but I didn't want to say anything that might embarrass her.

Well, I finally just straight up asked her. I explained that I'm not feeling inhibited anymore about things that I say, and I have been wondering for years why she glances at the side of my face while we're talking. (I said this while laughing and covering the side of my face--I wasn't confronting her in a bad way). She said she had no idea she was even doing it. We both laughed about it, but I was glad I finally just said what was on my mind.

Something else that was HUGE for me during this time was that I told the truth about everything--if I was feeling too much anxiety to go to a party, I told the host the reason that I wouldn't make it (instead of coming up with an excuse). And they were so gracious! It's amazing how understanding people are when you are honest with them like this.

My family (parents and siblings, not Jerry and the kids) thought I was always trying to avoid spending time with them, but I wasn't. My family enjoys all the things that I don't: the outdoors, beaches, tropical vacations, going out on the boat, having large social get-togethers, etc. I am the complete opposite: I am a homebody, and my idea of vacation is exploring a new city without an agenda and without doing the touristy stuff. I prefer small gatherings of people--maybe 1-2 couples over for Euchre or a bonfire.

Prior to my bipolar treatment, I would always feel like something was wrong with me (the "black sheep" of the family). Once I started being myself and stopped trying to please everyone else, I realized I actually liked being the black sheep ;)  I could try to fit in and be unhappy, or I could just do my own thing and be happy. (I also learned that many of the people that I thought were authentic and happy were actually just people-pleasers as well).

I became a much happier person once I started being my authentic self. I don't make apologies for who I am/what I like. I just tell the truth, and hope that they see it's not personal. This was hard for my family at first, because they were used to my agreeing to everything. But I don't feel bad expressing my opinions anymore.

I think I'm pretty good at understanding the wisdom of this authenticity card because I do practice it all the time already. There are still areas I could work on, though. Here on my blog, I avoid several hot topics because they are just inviting arguments (politics, religion, and the best way to lose weight--haha!).

I like to keep my blog light-hearted for the most part. In that sense, I'm still being authentic--I'm just not sharing all of my beliefs about all of the topics. I save that stuff for close friends who I can joke around with and who know when I'm being serious and when I'm joking around. I love healthy conversations with differing opinions, but as you probably know from reading comments on Facebook or other social media, people like to get into heated arguments over a difference of opinion--and that doesn't do anybody any good.

The more comfortable I get with being my authentic self, the happier I am. It's hard sometimes, because my opinion might not be the popular one, but I remain true to myself. It's worth it to find that happiness!

I have to say, though, I do kind of love passive aggression! It has its own kind of humor ;)

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HERITAGE RECIPE: Brown Dumplings

If you only knew how much time I spent trying to choose a heritage recipe today! I need to start choosing and cooking recipes several days in advance, but I'm a procrastinator.  I really wish I had some sort of fun information to share about the person who submitted this recipe, but I couldn't find much about her.

This recipe was submitted to the Rockwood, Michigan Area Historical Society by Joanne Stuivenberg in memory of Lottie Sachse. Joanne passed away this past August at age 81. I googled and fell down a rabbit hole of ancestry websites, and I still came up with nothing about Lottie (except that I learned Lottie is a nickname for Charlotte).

However, this recipe looked good to me and I had the ingredients at home already.

I had a lot of questions when I read through the recipe for these dumplings, but I think I made them correctly because they turned out amazing! They are basically dumplings in an onion gravy. I was picturing more of a dumpling and potato soup when I read the recipe, but I believe the potatoes were meant to be a thickener for the broth. 

As always, I followed my own rule of preparing this exactly as written in the cookbook (interpreting the best I can for the things that aren't very clear). I'm going to write this out how it's presented in the cookbook, but make sure you read my notes afterward.

Here is a printer-friendly version!

Brown Dumplings

2-1/2 qt. water
6 med. potatoes
1 lg. or 2 med. onions, chopped
1 T. oil
salt and pepper to taste

Put potatoes on to cook. At same time fry onion until it is deeply browned. Add one cup of water to onion before adding mixture to potatoes and water.

Dumpling:

5-6 c. flour
1 egg
salt and pepper
water

Add enough water to the flour and egg to form a soft dough. Drop by teaspoonful into potato-onion mixture and cook until tender. The dumplings will turn brown. (In memory of Lottie Sachse.)

MY NOTES:

Like I said, I had a lot of questions when I read this. Do I peel the potatoes? Dice them, slice them, leave them whole? How should I cook them? And 5-6 CUPS of flour? That's a lot!

I assumed that I would boil the potatoes in the water. I debated with Jerry about whether to leave the skins on or off. Since it's an old recipe, I thought maybe leave them on (people were far less wasteful than we are now, and I imagine they kept the peel on); however, because there weren't any other vegetables in there for different textures, I thought the peel would be odd.

I decided to peel the potatoes, and it was definitely the right choice! I diced them into bite-sized chunks, dropped them into the water and let them boil when I prepared the onions and dumplings (after the water came to a boil, I reduced the heat to a simmer).

I used two medium sized onions and cooked in the oil over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they were "deep brown". I didn't want the heat to be too high because burned onions aren't the same as caramelized onions.

My mom makes chicken paprikash (chicken and dumplings with a paprika-sour cream gravy) and I figured that I would make the dough to be the same consistency as hers. First, I beat the egg a little in a large bowl, then I added 5 cups of flour and 1 tablespoon of salt. I added a little water at a time, stirring until the flour was all mixed in. This is the consistency that I was going for:

When the onions were cooked to the point of being sticky and brown, I added a cup of water (from the faucet, not from the potatoes) to the pan to deglaze. Then I poured the onions into the pot with the potatoes. I set the heat on medium and began dropping the dumplings in. I thought that there was no way I'd be able to fit the dumplings--it didn't look like there was enough broth. I scooped out 1 tsp. of dough at a time and dropped it in--it felt like it took forever!

The dumplings cook super fast, so as soon as I was done dropping the last one in, I reduced the heat to low and stirred the dumplings for a minute. I realized that the broth was getting thicker and the potatoes were getting smaller, so I either way overcooked the potatoes, or they were meant to break down and thicken the broth. I tasted it and it definitely needed salt--I added a tablespoon of salt to the pot.

In the end, I wound up with a pot of perfect dumplings in a nice onion gravy. The whole family really liked this and said they would definitely eat it again. It reminded me of my mom's beef and sliders, so I think pot roast would be great with it. For next time, I think I'll add some beef bouillon cubes to the water with the potatoes instead of the salt. I will definitely add more onions--I'll probably use four medium onions instead of two. Other than that, though, it was great as-is!

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