NourishingWhole

Week 1: BCS Half Marathon

I can’t believe week one of training is over and I barely did anything!

Now, I do have an excuse, and I probably could have done more. Sept 14, I had two surgical procedures done and was put on a two week pelvic rest. When you’re pregnant pelvic rest basically means bed rest and no sex. When you aren’t and you homeschool two kids, it just mean no sex and heavy lifting.

It took a solid 7 days post operation before I felt like I could do more than just parent. So I’m trying to get my house into some kind of order (order never existed because I don’t know how to be a house keeper) and figure out life with the diagnosis from the procedure and homeschool two boys and not just crawl under a rock and cry.

What did week one of half marathon training look like?

One extremely slow 3/4 of a mile walk on my treadmill and a night walk with a friend for 2.6 miles.

Wahoo! 3.5 miles!?!

The training plan from the people behind the BCS Marathon has week one and week two the same, so I’m going to push a little to get the actual mileage in for week two.

On top of that! I’m starting 75 hard!

Wait!?! Hold up didnt you just say you had MAJOR SURGERY!?!

Yup! Did you know that the rules of 75hard don’t dictate your exercise or diet? That the only hard fast rules are the gallon of water and that you have to complete two workouts at least 45 mins in length. (Yes, there are more rules. Yes, they’re non negotiable, hold on.) So I would LITERALLY do 45 mins of yoga and a 45 min walk everyday for 75 days and still be within the rules. As for “diet” the rules are pick something don’t change it and drink 1 gallon of plain H2O. So I could also eat all my meals from McDonald’s and drink 128 oz of water and still be following the rules.

What makes 75hard hard?

The other rules!?! 10 pages of reading nonfiction/self improvement/entrepreneurial books doesn’t seem hard, until you realize how much time two 45 min workouts and peeing from drink a gallon of water take. The other rule that trips me up the most is the daily progress picture, I got to day 63 before I realized morning of day 64, I forgot the daily picture, complete and utter disappointment!

Tuesday, Sept 27 would mark 75 days before the half, so I figured this would be a great way to get some extra motivation to actually train for it.

Wish me luck and come cheer me on as I document my workouts and life on 75hard on instagram!

Where did you come from, where did you go?

Does that title make you think of a ridiculous country line dancing song about a guy named Joe…

Howdy! I know it has been a real long time. This last year has been a long one, full of ups and mostly downs.

Motherhood is hard, life is hard, and I hit a real low point about 10 months ago. It has taken a lot of hard work, therapy sessions, and some help of antidepressants to help me figure out my normal.

I have been working on some things and I’m ready to start sharing them. I have some recipes, some life things, and some house things.

My goal, so to not get to overwhelmed, is one blog post a week starting in October. I hope to have one recipe a month published and other topics the three weeks. AND I hope to have them posted on THURSDAY so that you can something fun for your weekend.

Thanks for sticking around waiting for me.

Anyone else picture Cotton-Eyed Joe as a scarecrow looking thing?

Book Review: Hidden Figures

I have been listening to “Hidden Figures”, by Margot Lee Shetterly. I have not seen the movie yet, but on my recent trip to Washington State for a friends wedding, the person sitting in front of me on the plane watched it. So I saw a few bits of it, and decided it was going to be my next book.

I like alternating fiction with nonfiction, and since I have a LOOOONG wait for the next Poldark book it’s perfect. I am listening to it, and so whenever I am in the car it is playing.

I actually started “the book” in early September, when I was looking for something to listen to on my drive to my grandparents. My only option was the “Young Readers Edition”. I tried to figure out if that meant it was an abridged version, I am still learning the Libby app. I finished “the Book”, and thought it was great!

I was looking for another book for my drive home from my grandparents and I found Hidden Figures but this time it said it was 11 hours long… I listened to BOTH versions!

The young reader edition doesn’t leave out anything, it does not go into as much details, especially about historical events that coincide with the women working at Langley. Either book is good, and talks about the huge barriers these women over came.

I especially liked the epilogue in the unabridged version. Shetterly talks about why we have not heard these stories. We have to remember that with women rights movements, civil right movements, and all the different movements that have happened and are happening, are changing the world we live in.

Just will the #metoo and #whyididntreport movements, times have changed. Internet has allowed more access to things, and these remarkable women paved the way for generations of girls to live their dreams.

Book Review: Astrophysics For People in a Hurry

I have recently discovered audio books, and I love them! When we lived in Washington, the libraries used one common online library. It had a decent selection. In Texas, that is not how the online system works. Each library has their own and they can be really lacking.

I learned, when I started reading the Poldark Saga, that as a Texas resident I have access to the Harris County online library. I got a card for the library and have been A.M.A.Z.E.D. at the selection of books this library has.

I found “Astrophysics For People in a Hurry” by Neil deGrasse Tyson when I ended up having to drive to Austin at midnight, and wanted something interesting yet fun to listen to so I could stay awake. It didn’t hurt that the author read it.

Having an engineering background I know a little bit about physics, and having always wanted to be an astronaut, I knew this book would be interesting. Tyson, does a great job explaining and walking you through the theories on how the universe works.

It is a quick read/listen at only about 4 hours long, it was perfect for my drive to and from the Austin airport. If you are at all curious about the universe check it out, you will not be disappointed.

Grocery Haul-Sept 24, 2018

September is almost over! Which means I am WAY behind on getting my kids Halloween costumes made… Our family theme this year is going to be incredible, just wait!

Monday, I went grocery shopping, and literally less than 5 minutes in the store I lost my list. I could. not. find. it! So I had to guess what was on it, because I couldn’t remember, I made it Saturday or Sunday and the only thing on the menu I could remember was green chili enchiladas for Taco Tuesday! Hopefully, I am not running to the store a bunch more times this week.

So here it is, ONE STORE! HEB, I got some lettuce, shredded cheese (Y’all I KNOW block cheese is cheaper, but I do not have time to shred cheese or wash more dishes, plus 2 pounds shredded for $5 is a great price.) Chicken broth, and a misplaced can that snuck in masquerading, beef broth, HEB brand Shell Mac and Cheese (I have no idea what we will do if we ever leave Texas, this Mac and Cheese is the BEST EVER, well beside homemade.) More cream of rice, sour cream, diced green chilis, hotdog buns, grapes, tortillas, and two loaves of bread (2 for $2 sale! One went straight into the freezer.) Total spent: $26.16, which leave a grocery roll over of about $20. WHOOP!

Summer 2018- Part 3

This is my final recap of the summer, and as today is the first day of Fall, it is fitting!. Other than the 18 things on our to-do list {Part 1 and Part 2}, we also had plans to travel to San Antonio for a family reunion on my mother’s side.

We are extremely lucky that now, we only live about 3 hours away from my grandparents, my mother’s parents. Growing up we never lived close to them, and never were able to visit as much as my other cousins. Sometimes it make us, my siblings, feel like we are the odd ones out. Since moving, and being older now, I see that really it’s just that they don’t know us as well, but my grandparents WANT to have that kind of relationship with us.

Getting together with all the cousins, I think only one or two was unable to come, and their families was crazy! My grandparents had 5 kids and those 5 had: a total of 14 kids. Of those cousins, 6 of us have had at least 2 babies. I believe the total is now at 15 great-grand-babies! Plus some of my grandparents cousins came down. There was a lot of people at the big party.

Even though this wasn’t our first time to San Antonio, we finally got the chance to do some touristy things.

Like The Riverwalk:

Lunch at the old restaurant on the Riverwalk, Casa Rio. We enjoyed it!

The Alamo:

And our favorite place, The Doseum!

No, we didn’t have two hats for Mr. Z. At some point before we road the river boats, Mr. Z lost his hat and we had to get a new one. His little dino hat was my FAVORITE and I am still devastated, so if anyone can find a replacement for Baby Hercules to wear send it our way!

Lastly, we were able to get Mr. Z a set of private swim lessons! He did a lot better this year than last year in the group lessons. Next year, both boys can do them!

Today, I Needed the Hug

Mr. Z: Daddy, will you come have lunch with me today?

Mr. Wonderful: I can’t today, I have to finish a big project. I don’t get to even stop for lunch, I eat while I work on it.

Mr. Z, sad: Soon?

Mr. Wonderful: YES!

The conversation this morning, broke my heart. I remember wanting and asking my parents to eat lunch with me at school, but they always were “too busy.” What does “too busy” even mean when it comes to our children?

This morning I left late to get run some errands, and on my way home I had to drive by a 3 car rollover accident involving a garbage truck, a sports car, and the same make, model, and color compact SUV that I drive. The SUV was the one that flipped.

I was on my way home from a 2 mile walk, sweaty and wanting to shower. Baby Hercules needed a diaper change and I didn’t bring any. After driving past this accident, and seeing “my” car, I needed to hold my babies. Remembering the conversation my two Misters had this morning out the door, I glanced at the clock, decided to forgo the shower, got lunch and showed up for lunch with Mr. Z.

We had a fun little lunch together, and he enjoyed that I surprised him with Whataburger. He also didn’t mind that I needed to hold and love on him.

It is important to me that I let my children know that they are on my “Most Important” list. I don’t want to be “too busy” to go to lunch at school with my kids. If that means, we have to sacrifice the income that me working would bring in, and we eat rice and beans multiple times a week, then that is what it looks like.

Groceries-Week Sept 17th

This week is busy! I keep telling myself to sit down and write, but I haven’t had time! Hopefully Baby Hercules will nap long enough for me to finish.

I wasn’t planning on shopping this week, but we *think* Mr Z is reacting to oats. Lets just say it’s not pretty. So since all most all of the breakfast foods we have are oat based and a lot of his snacks are, I had to get some non-oat stuff. I went to HEB and Kroger. I went to Kroger only because Ibotta had some deals that HEB didn’t. So don’t judge me on the no produce this week. We have some from last week still.

HEB:

I spent $31.22. We got HEB brand rice krispies (Mr. Z was begging to make rice krispie treats and I caved.), yogurt cups and go gurts, cream of rice, cream of wheat instant packs, 2 things of hummus, carrots, Annie’s crispy snacks (which I thought we more like granola bars, but after Mr. Z eating one they are totally just rice krispie treats…) Clif Kids Zbars and some quinoa.

Kroger:

I spent $22.47. We got some more Zbars (Ibotta purchase, plus the baby likes them and I feel better about these than other soft granola bars), peanut butter crackers x 3, cheese and breadstick dippers x 2, and 5 kid RXbars.

Like I said, almost all of this is for Mr. Z and the next 30 days while we see if oats are what is causing the issues. I needed things that are self stable, and not going to be crushed to bits in his school bag or my purse. This week we spent $53.69, which leaves us about $53 for the rest of the month, which is totally doable.

I also wanted to share the amazing steal I stumbled upon at Kroger yesterday! My store was under stocked in the All laundry detergent weekend sale, so they extended the sale. I got 5 bottles of All for $5.40!! They are the small bottles, 33 loads, but that’s about 5 months of detergent. Whoop!

Summer 2018- Part 2

It’s time for Part Two of our Summer! Missed Part one? Look HERE.

This summer we created a list of 18 things to do. I do this list so that we have something to do other than not melt in the Texas heat. We did not get to everything on the list, but here are the ones that we did!

10: Photo Scavenger Hunt

This was totally my fault, I never put it together!

11: Visit the Brazos Valley Children’s Museum 10 times.

Checking the patient on the way to the hospital.

I went shopping. The Ice cream is for me and the veggies are for you.

This is one of our favorite places, it is indoors and air conditioned, and since we have a membership, it’s free! The plan was to go at least weekly, but we didn’t always make it. Then I found out our membership expired in July! We decided that we would not renew with Mr. Z starting full day kindergarten we would not use it as much as we did this last year. We did make it 7 times before our membership expired, plus a trip to the Houston Natural Science Museum and to San Antonio children’s museum the Dosuem.

12: Watch Fireworks

We decided to check out the fireworks at the George Bush Presidential Library this year. It was pretty good. Plus the show had a live orchestra playing during the firework display, so the timing was almost perfect. Mr. Z also enjoyed some fun bounce houses and slides before it got dark.

13: Go to the Physics Roadshow

This one was another one of, mom made a mistake. I wrote down the wrong date on the calendar, and we showed up to the library 2 weeks too late!

14: Sponge Water Fight

I got this idea off pinterest, and Mr. Z loved it! No need for water guns, plus it’s more fun.

15: Picnic at the park

Summer is not the time to have a picnic outside in Texas. It was always too hot, and I just couldn’t bring myself to force us to do it.

16: Go to the Chemistry Roadshow

This one we did make! I think all the fire and “Ooohh! Aaahhh!” factor they have built into the show makes it a favorite for all kids.

17: Visit Washington on the Brazos

This was another one, that we made plans but weather did not agree with us. Once we got rained out and twice it was over 100*.

18: Write Letters to Friends.

This one was a bust. We got all the stuff out a couple of times and then Mr. Z decided he didn’t want to do it, or Baby Hercules would wake up and need my attention and Mr. Z would not finish. I think I’ll save it for next year, it might have been too early to do it this summer.

Next week I’ll post about our Big Trip and about some of the summer dreams we got to do.

Groceries-Week of Sept 10

Grocery shopping this week, with what happened Monday, was not in budget or really planned. Plans often go out to the wayside when unpredictable things like that happen.

The whole family headed to HEB late on Monday, so it took longer and we got a handful of impulse buys. I was not in the mood to fight for the budget.

At HEB we spent $67.98 (oops! That’s the whole budget for this week!)

We got, some frozen pizzas (there was no way I was cooking dinner after my morning), lettuce, chicken breasts, oatmeal, lunch meat, granola bars, salad dressing, strawberries ($0.87 a pound! We are going to slice and freeze mosts of them.) Oatmeal digestive cookies (Baby Hercules likes these ones, I got the wrong ones last time.) Hummus, and some cheddar bunnies.

Tuesday, I made it out to Aldi, and after loading up, realized I forget the peppers and had to drag the kids back in. I spent a total of $31.94 at Aldi.

At Aldi I stocked up on some things that we need for lunches and pizza night; pasta sauce, pepperoni, trail mix, yogurt, mini cucumbers, yellow potatoes, pretzels, grapes, and bell peppers.

This week’s total on groceries was $99.42. Yikes! If I am careful, I think we can manage skipping the grocery store next week! That will help the budget, and maybe, just maybe give us a small rollover.

I also had a helper today with pictures… Good thing he is cute!