Friday Night Photos

Happy Friday! Today has been a crazy day and I'm just now starting this post at 6:30 PM. My Friday Night Photos posts take a long time to do, so hopefully I get this done in time. Nothing exciting today, unfortunately. But they aren't all cat photos and selfies this time ;)

This is the birthday present I got for Luke. Hahaha! He just turned five years old--can you believe it?! Every time he comes over here, he likes to use a nutcracker to eat a couple of walnuts. Several times, he's said that he would like to get his own nutcracker and walnuts someday, so I thought this would be a good gift. The nutcracker I have is a million years old and a total hazard that could result in breaking your fingers, so I bought this one instead--it looked fun for a boy his age!

These could be Transformation Tuesday posts, but I didn't have much to post today, so I'll just include them here. This first one below is all of the peanut shells that accumulated on the ground next to our deck from the squirrels. I always thought they'd just disintegrate over time, but I guess not! The picture doesn't show the extent, but the pile was at least a couple of inches deep of peanut shells. I raked them up and put them in the fire pit (the bottom photo). I'm assuming they'll burn? We'll see!

This is a horrifying picture of one of our skylights before the roofers replaced it. I have no idea why it looks so dark--it didn't look like that from inside the house! But I love the new ones--they sit flat instead of bubbling out. In the first photo, you can see the storm damage that happened not too long ago. A tree branch caused a huge dent in the gutter and partially into the roof. The board had to be replaced. (There were a couple of other spots with damage from the storm as well.)

Just the roofers, doing their work. They did a great job and worked so hard! I bought them pizza and Gatorade and they were super grateful. They said most homeowners just ignore them. We're still waiting on the gutters because they took a while to order. They are seamless and I couldn't be more excited about that! The seams on our old ones leaked in the worst spots.

I do have some cat pictures, of course...

Here is a sweet photo of Phoebe sleeping on the couch. I love how she tucked her face down to cover her eyes. She's 14 years old--I can't believe it.

And here is Estelle. I accidentally bumped her bed off of the couch and before I could even pick it up, she climbed on top of it (it's upside down) and laid down. Cats are so funny! Anytime something looks different or is moved to a different place, they are all over it.

Duck has been driving me CRAZY lately because he constantly needs some form of entertainment. And when I can't stop what I'm doing to play fetch with him or talk to him, he just keeps doing everything he can to get my attention--pushing things on the floor, climbing up my leg, putting his paw on my face, etc. So this is another new toy (this one was only $9 on Amazon and had a billion good reviews, so I figured it was worth a try). The cats played with it for all of about five minutes and now it's just clutter. If any of you have suggestions for cat toys that keep cats entertained for a long time, please let me know!

THIS little tent thing, however, has gotten more play from the cats than any other thing they own. Remember how I bought this at a thrift store for a couple of bucks, even though I doubted they'd get much entertainment out of it? Well, ALL of the cats love this thing! It never stays upright and when they are playing, it rolls around the floor like a die (dice) but they think it's a blast.

Remember when I bought that oak table and chairs from Facebook Marketplace for $25 and I milled it down to really nice boards? Well, when I was done, I was left with just the base for the table and I wasn't sure what to do with it. I thought about it and thought about it and I couldn't come up with anything. As a last resort before throwing it into the fire pit, I cut the whole thing in half lengthwise and then laid down a faux fur coat to line it.

I brought it inside to see if the cats would use it as a bed, and to my surprise, they actually did! All of them have used it at some point. I don't know if I'll keep it, but at least the cats like it for now. (I had cut the coat into pieces--it was too big on me--so that I could use it for a cat bed or something. I didn't attach it to the wood though.)

This morning, I discovered that I can wear my favorite belt again! I probably could have worn it a while ago because I was able to skip the first couple of notches, but I'd actually forgotten about it. I haven't worn a belt in probably four years! Haha. These jeans are too big--I bought them at the thrift store recently and the fitting rooms were closed--but I really like them. With the belt, they are comfy enough to at least wear around the house.

This was just my first run with my new Garmin :)  (And a reminder that I needed to tweeze my unibrow.)

My training plan! I love seeing the progress on paper and being able to highlight the runs I've done. The ones I put an X through are the ones I had to miss because of my knee acting up. This training is going by so quickly.

These are veggies I used to make ratatouille and they just looked so pretty I had to take a picture.

I'll end with the random fact of the day. I was going to look this up and see if I could find something more to write about it, but it's late and I'm ready to be done with this post! So, I guess you should just remember to avoid contact with vampire bats, especially if you're on blood thinners. ;)

Have a great weekend! xo

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Return to Running Recap: Week 43

This has been such a fun week for running! (Yes, you read that correctly.) I got a new Garmin Forerunner (running watch) and I was so excited to try it out--not only outside, but on the treadmill. I could write an entire post about the watch, so I'm going to save that talk for Sunday or Monday, and I'll just stick to my running recaps today.

I had another three-day running week (instead of four). I wanted to do my Friday run (3.5 miles) after I got my new Garmin (which was supposed to arrive Friday from Amazon). Well, I waited and waited and it didn't show up until 8:30 Friday night. So, I decided to run it on Saturday instead. Then my knee was hurting again on Sunday, so I took an extra day off this week, which I'll get to.

Saturday (Long Run - 4.5 miles)

Saturday was not supposed to be a long run. I was supposed to run 3.5 miles on Friday, rest on Saturday, then run 4.5 miles--my long run--on Sunday. Since I skipped Friday, I headed out relatively early on Saturday to run 3.5 miles. I've really liked getting my runs done in the mornings again. And it was drizzly and overcast without being insanely cold or windy, so it was nice!

Since 3.5 miles is a distance I rarely run, I didn't have a route in mind. I just started running and added a little here and there to a three-mile route. Well, I discovered that I'd overshot--big time. I reached 3.5 miles while I was still half a mile from home. I figured I could either run an extra 0.5 miles for the day or I could add an extra 0.5 to that and turn it into my long run of 4.5 miles.

I was feeling good, so that's what I did. I turned here and there on the streets and then made it home right at the 4.5-mile mark. It was a really good run! And my heart rate (from my wrist, not with my chest strap) seemed to be very accurate.

On the left is the overall summary and on the right are my one-mile splits (the fifth one was the last half mile). I was very surprised to see a 10:54/mile pace for 4.5 miles! I actually felt really good, too--good enough to choose to run an extra half-mile to make it my long run for the week.

Tuesday (15-minute Tempo)

I was VERY curious to see how the Garmin would work on the treadmill. As you know, I love to complain about the inaccuracy of the Garmin when I run on the 'mill. I'll explain more about that on my post about the Garmin itself, though.

Tuesday's speed work was a tempo run: Run 5 minutes easy, run 15 minutes at tempo pace, and then run 5 minutes easy. While I was just sitting and drinking tea in the morning, I looked at the clock and realized that since it was only a 25-minute workout, I had enough time to get it done before I had to drive Eli to school. So I actually got this one started at 6:12 AM!

I varied my speed a little and I can't remember the exact speeds I used. But the numbers here look faster than you would expect because the new Garmin is super accurate on the treadmill. I've been running faster than I thought this whole time! (Again, I'll explain this in another post.)

The splits for this one aren't one mile each; they are just the warm-up, the tempo, and the cool down. I ran the tempo portion at a 9:19/mile pace!

Thursday (Easy run - 3 miles)

Today, I wasn't very much in the mood to run, but my knee was feeling fine and I had no reason not to do it. I like the drizzly overcast weather for running, so I took advantage of it this morning. I chose to do one of my old favorite three-mile routes. I used to do this route a lot when I was training super hard for my 10K--I ran many super fast intervals on that route! Haha.

I consciously tried to focus on going slower/easier. Since I have to run four miles tomorrow, I was worried about my knee again. I kept my watch underneath my shirt sleeve the whole time so that I wouldn't see my pace. I just ran by feel; I knew I was probably going too fast, though, so I kept slowing down; then I'd realize I was going too fast again and it was just a cycle of that.

Anyway, it was a good run! It felt really long, but I liked running the familiar old route. (Although, someone who was looking at their phone while driving drifted onto the shoulder and nearly hit me! Stay off the phone when driving, pretty please.)

I'm happy with how the week went! It was super fun playing with the new Garmin (they've come a long way in the last nine years, hahaha). Here is a (Amazon affiliate) link to the Garmin Forerunner 245 that I bought; but if you're interested in one, I'd wait until I write more about it this weekend to see if it's what you're looking for. Or you can read DC Rainmaker's review--it's SUPER in-depth and that's how I make most of my decisions about stuff like this. His review is for the 245 + music; mine is the same watch only without the music option.

Weekly Summary: I ran 10.18 miles in 1:47:34 (10:34/mile average pace); average heart rate of 153 bpm.

Here is today's random fact of the day:

This one wasn't really of interest to me, but maybe it will be to someone else! ;) 

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Wednesday Weigh-In : Week 43

The jeans in this picture are a pair that I bought when Jerry and I went thrift shopping. I knew they'd be too big, but I wanted them SO badly that I bought them anyways in the hope that I might be able to take them in at the waist. I've done that before, but it's a lot of work and it's really difficult to do (to make it look professional) but what have I got to lose? In the pic, they look like they fit okay (they're right out of the dryer), but I'm wearing a belt to hold them tighter. The legs aren't bad; it's just the waist that really needs altering. I'll see what I can do!

Well, last week I wrote about how I just feel stuck at this weight and I wanted to try mixing things up this week to see if I could get the scale moving again. I decided to eat a little less six days a week and then have a high calorie day once a week.

That ended up being a big fat fail on my part, hahaha. 

This wasn't a conscious thought, but I think my mind may have been frustrated with the scale not moving when I feel like I'm doing most everything right, so this week I may have had the "why bother?" attitude. I didn't go totally crazy with the food, though. I still ate vegan and I got in all my nutrition...

... but I probably got in enough nutrition for two people several days this week, haha.

I ate too many Larabars as snacks, too much peanut butter, and just big helpings of meals. I also didn't get as much fiber as I am used to; I ate the recommended amount, but I was used to eating nearly twice that. When I got on the scale this morning, I totally regretted my food choices.

Last week, I was at 147.8, so I'm up 2 pounds from last Wednesday. I've been bouncing between 147 and 150 for what... like four weeks now? I'm just a few pounds away from a "normal" BMI (I'm considered "overweight" until I reach 144 pounds).

I have an official DietBet weigh-in on April 1, so I'd like to do really well and make some progress for that. My weight is under what it needs to be, but I can do a lot of damage in nine days if I am not careful. And even if I make my April goal, I don't want it to be higher than what I weighed on March 1.

I'm not going to do anything drastic. I'm just going to do what has been working so well until a few weeks ago. I really believe this week's gain was caused by my eating choices; I certainly ate too many calories. I'm still not going to give myself a "limit", but I'll try to stick to around 1500 a day and then have one high-calorie day if I choose to. I'm also going to increase my fiber again (and drink more water--they go hand-in-hand).

Anyway, people always seem to think I'm beating myself up when I write about weight gain, but I'm not doing that at all! I'm just stating the facts. A year ago, I would have killed to be this weight, so I'm happy! I'm also just hoping that I can continue to lose weight and get down to my goal range (130-135 ish).

Okay, so today's random fact seemed to be addressed directly at ME. The irony!

It's no secret that I have generalized anxiety disorder, so I'm always anxious about, well, everything. However, my very biggest fear (other than something terrible happening to my family) is that I will get Alzheimer's one day. I'm absolutely terrified of it. And I worry about it frequently! Whenever I'm forgetful or I can't think of certain words, I immediately think that it's starting. Early-onset Alzheimer's. Not sure how this random fact can help me, but the irony was not lost ;) 

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Transformation Tuesday #64

Happy Transformation Tuesday! I've taken several "before" photos this week but so far, I don't have any "afters", haha. On Sunday night (after I'd written my to-do list for spring), Jerry told me that the roofers were coming at 8:00 the following morning. I was totally unprepared for that! They worked yesterday all day and they will be finishing up today. I hate having to spend so much money on something as boring as a roof, but at least now we don't have to worry about it for a long time. The before and after pics may not even be worth sharing next week, but we'll see.

Anyway, I have some jaw-dropping transformation pictures from readers to share today...

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Here are some photos of our primary bath transformation. I'm not a bath person (I do not find it relaxing; three minutes in and I'm thinking about all the other things I could be doing instead). It's small for a primary and we wanted it to feel bigger so we removed the tub/shower combo and replaced it with a tile shower.  I think it makes the room feel so much more open. I found the vanity on Houzz and just knew I had to have it! It's the same size as our old vanity and takes up a lot of space but I'm ok with that.

- Lynnette

Lynette, this is STUNNING. The colors, the shower, the vanity, the floor... all of it. (By the way, I'm not a bath person either. We removed the bathtub from our master bathroom because we never used it!) Your bathroom looks wonderful!  - Katie

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I bought this house last spring. It needed a lot of cleaning and updating. Here are a few before/after pics.

- Anne

Anne, I am truly speechless--these are some of the most dramatic before and after pictures I've ever seen! The floors and fresh paint alone make the house look brand new. I think a lot of people would have a looked at it before and thought it would be too much work to update--but it's absolutely stunning! I'm sure you must love it.  - Katie

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Thank you so much for sharing your pictures! These are such dramatic before and after photos--so much fun to see. Please keep the transformations coming--if you have a transformation, just send me a before photo and an after photo at: katie (at) runsforcookies (dot) com. I'd love to see them! Don't forget to include your name and a description of your transformation. (The transformation doesn't have to be as dramatic as these; I love seeing the little five-minute transformations too. It's inspiring!)

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What I've Been Eating Lately

A couple of weeks ago I said I would post what I've been eating lately now that I'm following a vegan diet. I still hesitate to say that I'm "vegan" or "plant-based" because it's only been a couple of months. It's kind of like when I started running... at what point could I call myself a runner? It took me almost a year to finally use that word.

So, for now, I just say that I'm eating a vegan diet: no meat, no dairy or eggs, no honey, or any other animal products (like gelatin). I am not going to be writing about it much because I don't want to become one of those preachy people that pushes my diet on other people. I still believe people should eat what works for them! But the more I read about plant-based diets and watch documentaries about it, I'm super convinced that I'm doing the right thing--for health reasons, ethical and moral reasons, and environmental reasons.

If you want to watch a great documentary (that is NOT meant to be a fear tactic like slaughterhouse videos) I just watched one yesterday on Netflix called 'The Game Changers'. It's about athletes who thrive on a vegan diet, but also all of the reasons why it works so well. I wasn't super interested to watch it at first because I'm not an athlete, but it was a really good entertaining documentary that I think everyone should watch--not to try to convince others to become vegan, but to learn what a plant-based diet does for your health and body.

Anyway like I said... I'm not going to write about this stuff much because I know it's annoying to meat eaters--and this isn't a "vegan blog". If there is something that I really find interesting, like that documentary, I may mention it.

Okay, so some people have asked what I've been eating lately. My breakfast and lunch are always the same--only because I really like them! I'm sure I'll get sick of them sometime in the near future, but for right now they are working for me. And they provide a lot of nutrition.

Breakfast:

I quit drinking decaf coffee and now I drink herbal tea that has my required Vitamin C for the day. I eat Grape Nuts cereal with almond milk (I currently use Silk brand unsweetened almond milk, which I discovered I like better than the Blue Diamond brand I was buying) and frozen blueberries. I also take a B-12 + D3 vitamin and a calcium complex. I was taking a multivitamin, but I was getting much more than necessary of most vitamins, so I just chose the ones that I was having a harder time getting. (Even without those, I'm sure I'm getting way more vitamins than I did before I started eating vegan.)

I know this looks really gross! The milk turns purple from the blueberries and gets super cold, even a little slushy. But it's SO GOOD.

Notice the little decor on the counter next to it: "Dear Vegetarians, Thanks for saving all the good food for us." Hahah! For the record, at the time I picked those, I thought it was funny while not at all true. Just a fun one to include.

Lunch:

In the mornings when I make my breakfast, I also prep my lunch. I make Cold Almond Joy Oats in a mason jar:

40 grams old-fashioned oats
5 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
8 grams coconut
13 grams chia seeds
10 grams vegan chocolate chips (I like the Enjoy Life brand)
140 grams (just over 1/2 cup) of unsweetened almond milk
8 grams maple syrup
a few drops of coconut extract and almond extract (optional)

I just mix put it all in a mason jar and shake it up really well, then I put it in the fridge to thicken until lunchtime.

I also have fruit with lunch; usually a pear.

Dinner:

This is where I change things up. Sometimes I have leftovers so I don't waste them, but I do like making different things. Cooking without meat is SO much more enjoyable. I always hated prepping meat.

So here are some of my dinners. Some are kind of unusual--things just thrown together--and some are actual recipes.

Barley with white beans, mushrooms, and cauliflower. I don't remember what sauce.

Beans and Rice (recipe on my blog)

Chickpea Tikka Masala --If you only try one recipe here, TRY THIS. I've been making it for a few years now and Jerry and I love it. (I just realized I don't have the recipe posted. I'll do that soon!)

Mushrooms, chickpeas, and barley with stir-fry sauce

Garlic & Chickpea Soup (find the post here)

Sesame Chickpeas with broccoli and barley (see recipe here)

Indian Lentil Soup (recipe here)

Keema with a couple of modifications to make it vegan (non-vegan recipe here)

Lentil Bolognese (post here)

Olive Tapenade & Hummus Pizza

Olive Tapenade (recipe here)

Super simple--just quinoa and peas. I love peas!

Tastes much better than it looks! Ratatouille with quinoa (which is buried under there)

Sesame Chickpeas with rice

Sweet & Sour Chickpeas with barley (Sweet & Sour Chicken recipe can be found here on my blog; I just modified it to make it vegan)

Whole wheat pizza crust with tomato paste, mushroom, caramelized onions, and peppers

Tacos with mushroom/cauliflower taco filling (post can be found here)

Here is my favorite "junk food" dinner for when I don't feel like cooking. These "buffalo wings" are AMAZING. The kids and Jerry tried them and none of them could tell they were vegan because they look, feel, and taste just like chicken nuggets (with a spicy breading). I cook them in the countertop oven (it's a convection oven, so essentially an air fryer without the fancy name). 

And dessert! I don't eat dessert very often. (Yes, I actually said that! I was the queen of dessert, but I just haven't been craving it lately.) I made these vegan brownies which I posted about and they were heavenly. Again, you'd never know they were vegan. (Find the post here)

I love ice cream and I almost didn't even try this "non-dairy frozen dessert" because I *knew* it wasn't going to be anywhere close to ice cream. But it was really good! I've since discovered their peanut butter chocolate fudge (or something like that) is even better. I've tried the Ben & Jerry's non-dairy as well, but I couldn't even eat it; it had a funky taste. But the Häagen-Dazs is delicious and Jerry even said he'd get that just as soon as he'd get actual ice cream. 

And this dessert is bewilderingly delicious. It sounds completely weird but I encourage you to try it! (It's supposed to be a dip but I like to eat it out of the bowl, haha). Here is the recipe.

Cookie Dough Dip

Snacks:

The only snacks I eat are between dinner and bedtime. They vary a lot, but sometimes I'll have a tiny little cup of peanut butter (I have a bunch of plastic one-ounce Jello-shot cups from way back in the day, so I just fill that). And yes, I eat it plain! Or sometimes I mix dry oats into peanut butter. Sometimes I'll eat almonds or cashews. Sometimes a Larabar. Hummus or tapenade with pretzels. It varies depending on what I'm in the mood for and what we have in the pantry. If I do make a dessert (like the brownies) I'll have that.

Okay, well that's what I have on my camera roll as far as food goes. I don't miss meat or dairy in the slightest. I haven't gone out to eat yet, but that's not unusual; I don't really like to eat out. I have a lot more energy and motivation since I started eating vegan, which is encouraging. I just feel healthier! My chronic pain has let up a LOT--I'm not sure if it's the diet change or if I'm just having a good couple of months, but it's been nice.

Now, if only my knees would cooperate (and I don't throw out my back again!) I should be good to go, hahaha.

Like I said, I don't plan to make my blog about a vegan diet, but on this post, I am curious about what other plant-based eaters eat! So feel free to share your favorites.

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My Spring "Wishful Thinking" List

Happy Spring! Today marks the first official day of spring and I couldn't be happier that winter is over. Although, Michigan always surprises us with a big snow storm in March and we still have 11 days left in the month, so we'll see. But I'm hoping that the gorgeous weather we have today is going to stick around.

This was from 2017:

I've been trying to think of things that I want to get done this spring--something that I do every year, even though I usually only knock a couple of items off the (very ambitious) list. So, I figured that I'd write my list out here on the first day of the new season and then take another look at it on the last day of spring.

1) Get a new roof. We fought with the insurance company after a storm destroyed parts of our roof, but they said they'd only cover the parts that need to be fixed--they'll pay to replace a few pieces of siding on the house and the shingles that were damaged. How ridiculous is that?! We've been paying homeowners insurance for 19 years. You can't get a contractor to replace just some of the roof or some of the siding.

So, we're using our tax refund + some of our savings for a roof. No fun at all! But at least it'll be done; one less thing to worry about. The siding is going to have to wait; that is going to cost $35,000!!! And we need new windows. But... one thing at a time. And this spring, we're getting a new roof. We've already signed a contract and they'll get started as soon as the materials are in.

2) DO SOMETHING WITH THE LANDSCAPING. Right now, there is nothing there. It looks terrible. If I ever have an "after" picture to show, I'll post the "before". But it's embarrassing.

3) Go through the house and touch up any spots that need paint, caulk, etc. The house settles differently during the winter and some things need touching up.

4) Paint Noah's bedroom. I was supposed to do this last week but time got away from me.

5) Clean out all of the kitchen cabinets, the pantry, the fridge and freezer, and the oven.

6) Clean the windows, inside and out. Clean the blinds.

7) Paint a couple of pieces of furniture that I bought on Facebook Marketplace to refinish, but couldn't work on because my carpal tunnel flared up big time. I'll have to do this a small bit at a time to keep it from flaring again.

8) Possibly extend our front porch. The price of lumber has gone way up again, so this may not happen.

9) If money allows, I'd like to replace our exterior doors. I just finished reframing the side door but we need new doors themselves.

10) Start summer at my goal weight. I'm not going to be a total freak about the number, but I'd like to aim for 133 and work really hard to get there.

11) Have a game night with friends. Jerry and I used to do this frequently, but it's been two years.

12) Plan a family vacation for late summer.

13) Fix loose boards on the back deck and then power wash and stain the whole thing (Jerry will help).

14) Make appointments for my "old age" tests: a mammogram and a colonoscopy (most people don't need one until age 45, but my mom had something abnormal on hers and the doctors told her that her kids should have one at 40). I also need to schedule my regular check-ups with my primary care doctor and gynecologist.

15) Catch up on email. I feel so guilty every time I look at my inbox, and I think it'll feel great to finally reply to personal emails. I love reading email! But since I am so wordy all the time, I always wait until I can sit down and write a thoughtful response rather than a brief reply... and then I just forget to go back until it's been an awkward length of time!

Okay, I think that's it. See? Ambitious! But if I can knock at least a few of these off the list in the next three months, I'll be thrilled.

I'll end with the random fact of the day:

I don't remember the last time I had a Toblerone bar (I think I've only had a couple of them in my life--they make me think of airports. And Joey from 'Friends' when he was obsessed.) This fact didn't actually surprise me; I'm curious how many they sell. I'd rather have a ton of smaller bars that an enormous one. How would you even eat that? But I do love chocolate :)

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