Friday, March 15, 2024

Week in Review: Home is Where the Hearts Are

Friday evening made this mama's heart so happy.  


JP and Andrew and Grace, JP's girlfriend, flew in from Pittsburgh and the other girlfriends came over for pizza and then we piled in Vanna White to go to Stations of the Cross at our church, and then back home for games and a movie.  That electronic version of Catchphrase gets a lot of use around here.  

Maggie complained that she was the lonely lass because she is not dating yet...but having such sweet girlfriends (maybe potential sisters-in-law) has been what she has always wanted.  I have to admit that the balance of estrogen to our testoster-home was a nice addition.  And my boys sure know how to pick them :)  Lovely ladies!

Lucy got a DIY bath at our local pet store with our eager helper, Declan.  Guys, when people say young kids shouldn't have chores, they must not know young kids.  They love to help until puberty kicks in, from my experience.


On Saturday, after basketball practice and swim lessons, JP and Grace took the littles to see Kung Fu Panda 4 in the theater:


Andrew attended and cheered at Darian's volleyball tournament for 9 hours!!  It must be love:


After the vigil Mass, Phil and I took JP and Grace out to dinner:

The restaurant is located in an old historic home from 1792.

We sat outside in a heated igloo!

I had conjunctivitis this weekend, so excuse my gross eye please.

Don't worry, I made pulled pork sandwiches for the others left behind, and honestly the food at the restaurant was very expensive for such small portions that we won't go back.  You live you learn!

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Wednesday Workout Wrapup: With a Side of Fitness Trackers - Friend or Foe?

Let's talk about fitness trackers and daily goals when it comes to working out.  

When I wore a Fitbit, I would have a daily Step Goal.

With my Apple Watch, I have a daily Move Goal (Calories burned while exercising).

With a step goal OR a calorie burned goal, I feel like I am always inclined to do a cardio session, like running, in order to reach my goal for the day.  I basically burn 100 calories or take 2000 steps for every mile ran, so even a 5 mile run would allow me to hit my daily goal very easily.  Running those five miles plus walking the dog or just living life for the rest of the day would bring me to my daily goal.

However, when I research exercise and nutrition in my spare time, I am always left to believe that incorporating weight lifting is the better option in the long run.  It builds muscle, which increases metabolic rate which allows you to burn more calories at rest.  It strengthens our bodies to do daily tasks.  It helps prevent osteoporosis by building strong bones.  It makes us appear leaner, as muscle takes up less bulk than fat on our body.  And on and on.  Plus, I kind of like lifting weights at 6am when I'm still waking up, whereas running that early requires a lot more motivation.

The annoying hangup for me is that I can complete a 45 minute weight-lifting program, like EPIC III and see such little calories burned and so few steps taken:


If I ran for 45 minutes at a ten minute pace, I would burn at least 450 calories and have taken 9000 steps.  One of the workouts only had me burn 90 calories!  For 45 minutes of work!  I understand that I burn more calories at the day goes on with the weight training, but in order to hit my Move Goal or Step Goal, I also seem to need walk a lot of miles in that same day.

My husband, on the other hand, feels very accomplished doing the same weight lifting program alongside me each morning, and then walking the dog in the evening.

The difference?

He doesn't wear a fitness tracker.

Is that the secret?  To stop tracking via a fitness watch and just work out as normal?   To have different daily goals depending on if I'm weightlifting or doing cardio?  Truthfully, I get a little anxious just thinking of not wearing a fitness tracker, but I also don't like feeling disappointed in a workout.

Wednesday, March 6:

EPIC III - Day 17 before work

3 mile walk at lunch

1.75 mile walk with dog in evening


Thursday, March 7:

EPIC III - Day 18 before work

3 mile run on treadmill at lunch


Friday, March 8:

EPIC III - Day 19 before work (I love her full body workouts the best!)

3 mile walk at lunch

 1 mile walk with dog in evening


Saturday, March 9:

6 mile run + 1 mile walk cooldown with dog



Sunday, March 10:

Maggie (#21 Outside Hitter) had a Volleyball Tournament from 8-1 so in between games, I walked around the indoor track which overlooked the volleyball courts and took some videos.  I guess it was an active rest day :)


Monday, March 11:

EPIC III - Day 21 before work

3 mile walk at lunch

2 mile walk with dog


Tuesday, March 12:

EPIC III - Day 22 before work

3 mile walk at lunch

2 mile walk with dog after work

Friday, March 8, 2024

Week in Review: A Tribute to Ordinary Days

Only the Good Die Young

You know how you get little nudges to do something?  And then you don't?  And then you regret it?  

These past two weeks, I have been thinking about Sarah from the once uber popular Clover Lane blog.  I felt like I should send her an email but instead just checked her blog daily to see if there were any updates.  Ugh, why didn't I just send the email?  I knew she was battling cancer for the second time, and we had emailed and commented faithfully through the past 16 years, so I thought of her as my friend in Ohio that I never met.  She had six kids and used to write beautiful reflections on motherhood, realistic and helpful to so many moms who read them.  She loved being a stay at home mom, and I am so glad she got to spend all those years with her children because God called her home way too young.  I haven't stopped praying for her and her family since I heard the news and I encourage you all to read back through her posts if you get the chance.  Rest in peace, sweet Sarah Turner.  I hope you now know how much you meant to all of us even when we didn't follow the nudge to tell you.

Sarah used to always write about her family's Ordinary Days, and I feel like that's what these Week in Review posts are for me, so *cheers to the ordinary days* as we never know how many we will get...

Just Act Normal for Once

Phil and I were very social last weekend.  On Friday we went to Stations and then out to dinner with another couple from church.  I dubbed it Stations and Libations and I think churches should jump on this bandwagon :)  

Then on Saturday, we hosted a friend of Maggie's family for dinner which was a lot of fun.  It's always great to love your kid's friend, and even better when you love their parents too!  I usually play hip hop or 90s country music when we're in the kitchen, but I didn't want to scare anyone away so I put on Frank Sinatra music instead.  We used our wedding china (shoutout to Laura's post "Life is Short, Use the Silver") and then when everybody arrived for dinner I was like "Ok everybody help yourself, don't be shy, we're not fancy!" and Maggie and Eamon started giggling and Maggie said "Yeah we're not fancy, we just casually listen to this kind of music and use the fancy plates all the time."  Busted!  Just play it cool guys, c'mon!!  Haha!

A Smashing Time

On Tuesday, I went for my annual mammogram after work, and the machine wasn't working properly.  Apparently it got a new $200,000 part that morning and was giving the technician a lot of trouble.  So after I had been squished and pushed into place multiple times, we had to move to a different room and get squished and pushed some more.  The worst part for me is that it hurts my neck.  I can handle the other stuff (I did breastfeed seven babies) but turning my neck to the side 90 degrees while pressed up against a plastic screen is the worst part for me.  The tech told me that a company is designing a mammogram that you can lay down into, but it uses contrast dye, so if they can figure out a way to do it without the need for dye it will be an amazing alternative.  In any case, go get screened regularly no matter the temporary pain.  Check yo'self before you wreck yo'self.


Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Wednesday Workout Wrapup: With a Side of Weather Worries

The problem with running and walking outside is that you have to consider the weather.  And weather whether you like it or not, there's nothing you can do to change it, so you just have to adjust.  This week brings lots of rain...


I personally am a big baby when it comes to needing the right conditions in order to work out outside, which is why I generally only run on treadmills in the summer (I hate the heat) and won't risk a fall on ice/snow in the winter (I love my original joints).  Running in the rain is doable if it's not stormy, but I'd rather not if I can switch up the schedule.  Wet soggy feet are kinda miserable.  

Then there's the additional consideration for when I walk on my lunch break, because I face the dreaded "Will I get too sweaty in my work clothes to then sit back down in the office for another 3 hours before I can go home?" question.  I have my own office, so I don't worry too much about offending others with my potential stench, but it is a thought.  I think I am a fairly normal cardigan sweater, nothing extreme but I certainly prefer to take a shower right away than to sit in sweaty clothes and stink.  So if it's too hot or rainy or snowy, I won't go for a walk outside at work. Usually I will drive the five minutes to the gym and do a 35-40 minute workout, quick shower and drive back.  It's very rushed and stressful and kind of defeats the whole exercise-brings-me-peace feeling.  But what a privileged problem to have.

To overcome all of these potential problems, I try to look at the weather for the week and make a plan.  Then I look at the weather each night for the next day to see if the plan needs to change.  It's a lot of thinking and I long for a job that would just keep me active all day so that I wouldn't have to try to fit in steps and weights.  Anyhoo, here's what went down this past week...

 Wednesday, February 28:

4 mile run on treadmill at gym during lunch

1 mile walk with dog in evening


Thursday, February 29:

EPIC III - Day 13 before work

3 mile walk at lunch

2 mile walk with dog in evening


Friday, March 1:

EPIC III - Day 14 before work (I love her full body workouts the best!)

3 mile walk at lunch

 2 mile walk with dog


Saturday, March 2:

Not quite 6 mile run + 1 mile walk cooldown with dog and littles



Sunday, March 3:

Cardio Pump Class at gym with Maggie

3 mile walk with dog


Monday, March 4:

EPIC III - Day 16 before work

3 mile walk at lunch

3 mile walk after work with dog


Tuesday, March 5:

4 mile run on treadmill at lunch (it was raining)

I was able to wear my birthday gift of Hokas for the first time, and they definitely made the run feel bouncier and easier.  I can't wait to try them on the road once all of this mud goes away!

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Lenten Thoughts on Becoming Like a Child

Sometimes when I am feeling like I need a kick in the behind when it comes to motivation to live a healthier lifestyle, I think of my kids.  

I think about while I have them in my house (especially when they are young) I make sure that they eat healthy and nutritious food, move their bodies to be active and strong, bring them to school to learn, have friends over for social skills, limit screen time, talk to them openly about what's happening, teach them manners and kindness, put them to bed early so they are rested, teach them their prayers and take them to church to get them to Heaven, and hug them as much as they allow it.  

I do it all naturally because I love them so much and I always want what's best for them.  I'm always thinking of them, always looking out for them and I'll always have their backs.

Sounds pretty cushy, right?  And so I think, "Girl, you need to mother yourself like a child! You need to just love yourself like you love those kids."