We got a new blender that Mummy & I can make our own healthy peanut butter with!
He said
Healthy eating and exercising continued to be the focus for our household as this was week three of our Wellness Challenge at work. We really had the eating part of it down and our team continued to lead in the challenge, but needing to increase my exercise points as well as amplify my potential weight loss, I added in 25 minutes of lap swimming in the pool at the YMCA while Danielle and Emelia went through their own programs. Three days last week, in addition to doing my regular workouts earlier in the day, I added on a pool workout.
What was interesting was even though my workouts upstairs on the cardio and weight equipment are pretty intense, I still managed to find new muscles to wake up and use and feel the next day after the pool! So far I am down 11 pounds from where I started logging my progress and it feels pretty great! This is the last week of the challenge, but I feel enough of these healthy habits are part of my day-to0-day that they will just continue after the challenge wraps up—which was exactly what I was hoping for in the end, anyway.
With Family Day this week I managed to have three days off work – two of them together, and one of them with Danielle and Emelia last Monday. It was bliss as it had been some time since I had a weekend day off to be with them, and so to have that day together was truly a blessing. Tuesday I was off work too, and then again Thursday. And while those two days I was knee deep in daycare activities in the house, I wouldn’t have it any other way for the reconnection I got with Danielle too. Plus with the schedule I had (a couple closing shifts on the other two days), it let me have a much less urgent or immediate wake up any of the days whether I was working or off! Four straight days of no alarm clock bringing me from the sleep world to the awake counterpart, was pretty alright.
This week we added a new electronic friend in our house that will make healthy eating after this challenge a whole heck of a lot easier! I got an iMessage from Danielle while I was at work and she was at Costco doing the grocery run that they had Vitamix blenders there for sale. We had both been talking about some sort of better food processing device for some time since we started making a more focused effort at eating better, so this couldn’t have happened at a more fitting time for us. After about three or four messages back and forth, we were happy owners of the fancy-schmancy blender. And the best part about that was the most actively excited and engaged about using it, was actually Emelia. They were running a demo of recipes you could make with it and Danielle was beside herself with how much strange (to Emelia) food she was willing to try. And she was over the moon that she and Mummy could make their own healthy peanut butter! We were sold – the three of us – hook, line and sinker!
Today was a glorious weekend day off so that I could spend it with Emelia and Danielle. And the best part was I also got to see Emelia in her gymnastics class. It’s been at least a month (if not more) since I have had the opportunity and holy-moly has she ever stepped it up! The instructor often calls upon her to demonstrate each of the exercise they go through, and her confidence and interaction with the classmates and instructors really illustrates how she is flourishing in this new focus. It was a delight to see her in her realm. And the good news is, I will get to see her again next week at it too.
We have a busy week in front of us that ends with a weekend off and two concerts that Danielle and I are excited about. Friday our friend Jim Bryson is playing a house show here in London, and then Saturday we’re off to Toronto to see one of Danielle’s favourite bands Dan Mangan play with Hayden at the historic Massey Hall. It will be a great grownup weekend for Danielle and I as Emelia will be off to spend the time with Poppa and Grandma. And after all this winter and being trapped in the house mostly always with kids, the perfect remedy for the both of us right now. So excited to have this date weekend!
She said
This week was a shorter work week but at times felt like the longest week ever! The temperatures plummeted to a hell freezing over level and we were dreaming of sunshine and spring while under a cold advisory warning all week. We are all about done with this never ending winter.
This winter started out unseasonably mild and no snow and man oh man has January and February made up for it in spades. This week I was focusing on the positive and the intense desire for warmer weather. So this week I did some more spring and summer clothing shopping for Emelia, John and I. There were some sales on and we decided that this would be the week to focus on shorts, capris and t-shirts.
I managed to find an insane deal with a mom on kijiji as well that will pretty well have Emelia set for her summer play and camping clothes. I got two large bags of shorts, capris, tank tops, pjs and t-shirts for an insanely cheap price. So we are pretty set for Emelia, I even ordered her two pairs of shoes for the summer. We are in great shape now we just need to convince mother nature that enough is enough and release us from this deep freeze. I know it’s February and we are Canadian but we can dream right?
After bearing the extreme cold all week we were more than ready to bust out of the house come the weekend. Friday night John had to work another close shift so Emelia and I along with her closest friends went to the school for their second movie night of the year. Emelia and her friends had planned their pjs, snacks and to bring their beloved American girl dolls with them. They spent the movie styling their doll’s hair and giggling along with the Lego Movie. All in all it was an amazing night and a great break from the cabin fever.
By Saturday we had seen a bit of a warm up, not enough to release our basement pipes from their deep freeze but warm enough that you didn’t NEED a winter hat and mitts to exist outside for more than 10 seconds. Trust me that was a welcome change. They were calling for a fair bit of snow, and although it did snow it was very mild and it allowed Emelia and I to easily get around town to get all our errands done.
We had done our produce and some grocery shopping before we headed over to Costco for our bigger bulk produce and meat. Within a few minutes we saw the demo for the Vitamix machine. John and I had been eyeing these up for the last little bit but man they are expensive. But with our extreme commitment to eat as clean as possible the Vitamix was a perfect match to our healthy life we want for Emelia. It was an expense we were willing to invest in. Emelia was totally smitten with the whole demo, with not a blink she was eating green smoothies (and she knew exactly what was in it), soups and even homemade ice cream that was loaded with veggies. She loved it and could not wait until we could come home and make our own pure and healthy food. It made the high price worth it.
By the time we got home Emelia and I had a list of what we were going to make for food during the next day when John had the day off.
Sunday morning we started out with a green smoothy with added protein. She loved it and man it was yummy! The afternoon we made homemade peanut butter made only of pure peanuts, homemade hummus and for dinner homemade from scratch potato, cheddar and veggie soup, and Emelia gobbled it all up. We could not be happier and love the fact that she is willing to eat more and more pure foods and is actually requesting veggies we could never get her to eat before to be added to her soups and smoothies. It is a pure win/win. As I said to Emelia our dedication to our health is worth the price tag of the machine if it moves us even further away from boxed, canned or processed food and to whole foods.
This week should be another busy week and the count down is on for an adult, kid free weekend. We will miss her desperately but we are pretty excited to explore Toronto just the two of us.
And that’s me for this week, I want to sign off and enjoy the last of Sunday with John before we are back to the grind again tomorrow.