Looking towards Easter with hope

Anyone who knows me, in real life or in the blogosphere, is sick and tired of hearing me whine and complain.  Hell, I’m sick and tired of hearing me whine and complain.  It’s been a frustrating almost-two-months now, and I know I sound like a broken record.  Truth is, that’s why I’ve been so sporadic with my blog posts lately.  I feel like I have nothing else to talk about other than this one subject that is making me want to PULL.MY.HAIR.OUT.

So, I’ve been trying to turn my focus to things that bring joy to my heart.  One of those things – now looming in the very near future – is Easter.  Yesterday, I noticed a bunch of my blog pals playing along with Easter-and-Hope-related Wednesday Hodgepodge questions.  How fitting.  I decided to join that party a day late….

1. This coming weekend is Palm Sunday, which marks the beginning of Holy Week. Do you celebrate Easter in your home? What was your favorite Easter tradition as a child? 

I love Easter.  Almost as much as I love Christmas.  And yes, I do celebrate with my family.  As a child, of course my favourite tradition was the Easter Egg Hunt.  We did ours indoors, as often there’s still snow on the ground here for Easter.  Also hidden around the house would be an Easter basket of treats and goodies for each of us.  Now, I still enjoy the treats that come with Easter – Reeses PB Eggs, Lindor Eggs, jelly beans, Cadbury Creme Eggs, chocolate bunnies -  but I also love our tradition of going to church, going for brunch to one of our favourite local restaurants afterwards,  and then gathering for a big family dinner later in the day.

2. George Weinberg is quoted as saying, 'Hope never abandons you, you abandon it.' Agree or disagree? Share your own thoughts on the word hope.

I do agree.  Although, since I’ve been wallowing in self-pity and anxiety lately, I can understand how one can be driven to abandon hope.  I’ve always tried to maintain a positive outlook, and to always carry hope with me.  Some days, that easier said than done, I’ll admit it.  I do think it’s important to have a hopeful heart… perhaps a nice reminder to me right now!

3. Weigh in with a yay or nay on the traditional Easter candies. A solid milk chocolate bunny? Cadbury Creme Eggs? Peeps? Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs? Jellybeans? Coconut Cream Eggs? Of the candies listed, which one would you most like to find in your Easter basket?

Oh, how I love Easter sweets!!  I’m a big YAY for most of them – I love a solid white chocolate bunny, a Creme Egg or two, the Reese PB eggs are a heavy favourite, jelly beans are a MUST!  Coconut cream eggs, though?  They sound delicious, but I’ve never heard of them.  Peeps – or any kind of marshmallow candy – has never really been tops on my list.  Ooooh and I also love Mini Eggs and the malted milk eggs, too.  Mmmm… Easter candy…

4. When did you last feel 'like a kid in a candy store'?

I’m sure there have been times since that I’m just not remembering, but the first thing that comes to mind was shopping for Easter candy last year.  Because I’d given up sugar and artificial sweeteners for Lent, I anticipated the Easter treats more than usual.  When I went to Walmart a few weeks before Easter, I bought pretty much every candy and chocolate in sight.  By the time Easter weekend rolled around, I’d been almost driven mad with anticipation.  I remember setting all of the candy out before I went to bed on the Saturday night, saving one Reese PB egg to put on my bedside table, so that I could eat it while still in bed Easter morning.  I was deliriously excited for it all.

5. What's something you know you do differently than most people? Does that bother you? Does it bother other people? 

Hmmm…can’t really think of anything, to be honest.  Maybe the way I’m choosing to live my life right now, in my early 30’s?  Choosing to be single and childless, at least for the time being?  I know it probably makes people wonder why I’ve stalled in that department, but for me, it’s just the way I like it right now.  Free to do what I want, when I want… some might think I’m being selfish, but for me, it just keeps me calm and sane (ha! like that’s even possible!!)  Doesn’t really bother me much – at least, not anymore - but I think it baffles others sometimes.

6. Palm Springs CA, Palm Beach FL, or the PALMetto State...of the three mentioned, which sunny spot would you most like to visit right now? Which have you visited at one time or another?

I don’t know much about any of these places, but since I haven’t been ANYwhere in a loooong time, I’d probably jump at the chance to visit any one of them!!!  Palm Beach would probably be my first choice, just because the word “beach” is in there.  (It’s been a long winter.)  I haven’t visited any of them previously.

7. If you could change the length of a day would you lengthen it or shorten it? Tell us why.

I don’t imagine why anyone would want to shorten the day.  There are never enough hours in the day, am I right?!  There have definitely been days when I’d like to add a few hours, that’s for sure…

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

You guys don’t want to hear my random thoughts these days, trust me.  Refer back to the start of this post.  ;)

And then, the frustration sets in…

I’ve had plenty to feel frustrated about over the past month or so, and I’ve grumbled about it steady for the past few weeks on the blog.

Before I go on with another angst-riddled post, I must confess that overall, I’m feeling much better these days.  Maybe it was partly the winter blues that were dragging me down.  I know that I worry and stress over things that are out of my control, which has definitely been another big part of it.  But over the past week, despite all of this, I’ve noticed my spirit is definitely lighter and I’m feeling much happier.

But there is still frustration.  And today, it’s over this stupid weight loss mission I’m on.

I’m nearing the end of my first round of the 21 Day Fix.  I’m on Day 17.  I’ve really been enjoying the workouts – this is definitely my new favourite program, and I’m already looking forward to starting the next round.  I’ve ordered my own copy, so that I will be able to put the nutrition side of things into action with the meal plan and container system they use.

That being said, aside from what I consider to be a few relatively small slip-ups, I’ve been eating pretty healthy regardless.  Last week I took part in another 7-Day Clean Eating Challenge, and only had one day where I faltered (at the Irish Tea on Saturday). I’ve been feeling more “on track” than I have since November.  I’ve been feeling really, really good.

So it frustrates me to NO END that I’m not seeing results.

21 Day Fix trainer Autumn Calabrese vows that you can lose up to 15 lbs. in 3 weeks doing this program.  I had hoped to lose at least 10.  My Lenten promise was to drop 15 lbs, and I figured if I got down 10 lbs during these three weeks, my goal of another 5 lbs before Easter would be easy-peasy.  In the past, if I took a serious notion to drop 10 or 20 lbs, I’ve always been able to achieve it.  Once I put my mind to it, it was as good as done.

This time, it’s not working.  It’s like I’m at a standstill.  The first week of the Fix, I lost 5 lbs, which I was thrilled about - but since then, I keep going up and down the same 2 or 3 lbs. daily.  I’m not even close to fitting into my “skinny” clothes yet, and I don’t know what else I have to do to make it happen.

I’m doing the 21 Day Fix workout every day.  I’m going for walks on my lunch break.  I’m drinking Shakeology without fail.  I’m eating a balanced, healthy diet.

The fact that the number on the scales either doesn’t change or actually goes up, and the fact that I’m not seeing much difference in the way my clothes are fitting… Well, it’s making me want to pull my hair out, quite frankly.

What am I doing wrong?  Why isn’t it working? What the hell else do I have to do?!

I’m trying to be patient, and I’m trying to stay positive, but at this rate, I’m not even going to be close to reaching my goal of losing 15 lbs. by Easter Sunday.  And my dreams of being that much closer to fitting into last summer’s wardrobe are fading by the minute.

Despite my down feelings, though, I’m not giving up hope.  I have signed up for a Spring Tune-Up Challenge which will run for 30 days starting the end of March, so hopefully that will keep me moving forward on the right path.  I might not get to my goal by Easter, but if I stick with it, I still have hopes that I can get back to my goal weight before summertime.

I hate that this battle is never over for me.  But it’s a battle I’m not willing to give up on just yet.

Onwards & upwards…

Welcome back to my life, Ryan Phillippe

When I was a teen, I had many celeb crushes.  Probably the biggest was Chris O’Donnell – he was my main man for a long, long time – but another biggie was the super-cute golden haired Ryan Phillippe.  Between his roles in White Squall, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Cruel Intentions, he was the IT boy for a lot of teen girls in the ‘90s… and I was definitely one of them.

 

I was also smitten with the idea of Ryan and Reese Witherspoon being a couple.  I thought they were a match made in heaven, and loved their “story”.  But I admit, I kinda lost track of the guy after he and Reese split in 2007.

Fast-forward to Winter 2015, and suddenly I start seeing commercials on TV advertising a new mid-season show starting March 1st called “Secrets and Lies”.  And what do ya know, that leading role was being played by …drum roll please!… Ryan Phillippe.

I set the PVR and for the last couple of weeks, I’ve been watching.  I’m skeptical of the show, only 3 episodes in.  I’ve been enjoying it, but I’m not sure what kind of future it has.  The story begins with Ryan’s character, Ben Crawford, discovering the body of a young boy in the woods while out for a jog, and before he knows it, he is a prime suspect in the child’s murder.  I doubt the show will win any awards, and like I said, not sure how it could survive more than one season – once this murder mystery is solved, where will it go from there? – but I keep tuning in.

For – you guessed it – Ryan Phillippe.

You see, Ryan has aged well.  Very well, in fact.  If anything, I think he’s even hotter than the baby-faced pucker-lipped young actor I was drawn to in the ‘90’s.  He’s pretty studly.  Well-muscled.  Filled out more. 

Yeah.  The crush is back on, y’all.

I’m also a sucker for a good love story, and I’m hoping for one on this show.  I think Ryan has real chemistry with his co-star KaDee Strickland, who plays his wife, Christy.  They have a troubled past, and seem to be on the verge of separation, as Ben sleeps on the couch, and past infidelities are re-hashed over and over.  Yet, Christy appears prepared to weather this storm with Ben, standing by him for the sake of their children.  They have moments on screen where sparks fly, and I’m hoping their relationship is given more time and a chance to mend, although with being at the centre of a murder investigation, and Ben acting more and more suspicious all the time, I doubt that’s likely.

In any case, I’m cautiously excited about this show.  If for no other reason than I’m enjoying having Ryan Phillippe back in my life.

Who were your teen celeb crushes?  Do you still follow their careers now?  Anybody else out there been watching Secrets and Lies?

And yes.  For the record, this post was a total excuse to look up pics of Ryan Phillippe.  I ain’t ashamed.  Dude is sexy.

Wonder what I gotta to do get Jimmy to get him on his show…

I Survived.

Last Thursday, I told you guys all about how I was looking at the weekend as a challenge.  A chance to test my willpower, my resolve… This past weekend represented a vow I’d made to not let all my progress through the first 7 days of the 21 Day Fix go to waste.  Weekends are usually very hard for me food-wise, and I had promised myself to make a concentrated effort to be better.

And I did it.  I was good.  Really good, in fact.

The biggest test of all, as I had anticipated, was Friday, when I took the kids to the movies and out to Boston Pizza for supper.  I ended up getting a bag of Nibs instead of popcorn at the theatre, and sharing them with the kids, while Caden let me have some of his popcorn to satisfy that craving – only a few little handfuls though.  (Also, he got very protective over it and wasn’t really into sharing, which was kind of funny since that’s how I am with popcorn usually).  It wasn’t perfect, but it was a planned treat and I managed to stay on track.  Heck, the fact that I didn’t throw caution to the wind and order a large popcorn with extra butter was worthy of a celebration dance.  This trip to the movies was a big WIN for me.

Then, on to Boston Pizza.  As I had mentioned, I had researched on-line in advance, and stayed true to my promise to order something from their healthy alternative selections, going with the Szechuan Chicken Pizza & a glass of water.  No appetizer, no dessert.  I was even more successful in that I was  unable to finish my meal after witnessing a child at a table nearby being sick – a scarring incident for me, since I don’t handle seeing people getting sick very well, and who knows when I might be able to enter a Boston Pizza without thinking of that again – but perhaps a small blessing in disguise, because WHEN does JILL ever push her plate away unfinished?!  (I had only a small piece left, so it wasn’t like I was going home starving, trust me.)

The rest of the weekend posed no great threats to my success – I stuck with the plan. 

So you can imagine my anger and frustration when I stepped on the scales Sunday morning to discover I had somehow gained weight instead of losing.  I was ready to scream!!!

I know one of the biggest weight loss tips out there is to stay away from the scale.  Don’t get on it every day.  Once a week, max.  But the scale has always been my friend in the past.  It has been a reminder to keep putting one foot in front of the other.  Went up a pound today?  Work harder tomorrow!  And always, when I put forth a concentrated effort, that number has gone down.

Until now.

The logical part of my brain knew there were probably sensible reasons for the number going up.  The 21 Day Fix uses more weights in its exercises than I have used in months, and muscle weighs more than fat, so perhaps the muscle was building back up and wreaking havoc with the number on the scales.  Also, I was eating towards the lower end of my calorie goal range all week, so there’s a good chance my body was clinging on to that fat, as bodies that are going through weight adjustments are apt to do.  Furthermore, I haven’t been following the nutrition plan and container system that comes with the program, as I’m just borrowing the workout DVD’s, so that could be a contributing factor as to why the pounds weren’t melting away as quickly as Autumn’s been promising me.

I shouldn’t be worrying so much about the number on the scales.  I should be appreciating the “good” soreness in my muscles as I push my body harder again.  I should be enjoying the strong, empowered feeling that comes with eating healthy and working out.  I should be comforted by how my clothes aren’t feeling so tight anymore.

But that’s very hard to do when the number on the scales goes UP instead of down.  grrrrrr….

Thankfully, this morning that number started heading in the right direction again.   There’s nothing worse than giving a healthy lifestyle your all, and not seeing the results you hoped for.  I deserved to see a little credit.

Now, to just keep chugging along…

The Weekend Challenge

Ladies and gentlemen, here I am on Day 4 of the 21 Day Fix, and thus far, things are going very well.

I have stuck to a meal plan all week long, and haven’t been sucked in by any “treats”.  I’ve been trying to eat clean as much as possible (except for the pea soup, of course), watching portions… I’ve even given up my beloved steaming mugs of hot chocolate.  And I’ve been OK.  Watching the number on the scale dip a little lower each day is the reward, and it’s a reward that feels good.

The 21 Day Fix workouts have been wonderful.  It’s been quite some time since I’ve been excited about a workout.  I love that they are only 30 minutes long.  I love that sometimes I use weights, sometimes I don’t.  I love that each exercise lasts 60 seconds followed by a short rest, because when Autumn tells me, “Anyone can do anything for 60 seconds,” I really believe her, and I push myself to finish it.  When the half hour is up, I can’t believe how fast it went, and how sweaty I am.  I’m certain this is the next program I will be purchasing from Beachbody, because I’m quite interested in seeing how it works if I follow the nutritional side of things and using the container system that they offer with the program.

But here’s the problem I’ve been battling lately:  Weekends.  For whatever reason, no matter how well I do during the week, I always seem to kill it on the weekend.  Any progress I make Monday through Thursday gets destroyed by the time Friday evening rolls around.  I’ve fallen victim to that age-old prank the mind plays, when I talk myself into, “It’s OK to have the bacon cheeseburger and spicy fries, because you did SO WELL all week long!  Treat yourself, Jilly!”

Yes, treats are allowed.  There will always be bacon cheeseburgers and spicy fries in my life.  But since Christmas, the treats have been happening at a regular frequency, and they keep knocking me off track.  I need to space them out more.  I can’t put in 4 good days, and then go overboard on a weekend of treats.  Just doesn’t work that way.

Originally, I thought this would be a perfect weekend to stare down the treats, because I really had no plans – at least, none that revolved around food.  That is, until I realized my niece & nephew are on March Break this week and decided it would be fun to take them to the movies on my day off tomorrow.

Dun dun dun…  Movie theatre popcorn… Peanut M&M’s… Boston Pizza just a short piece away…

This weekend, I have presented myself with the Movie Challenge.  And I am DETERMINED that I’m going to survive it.  But it’s going to be tricky.

You see, I always get the kids each a Kid Combo at the movies – a little colourful box of popcorn with a side of candy and a slushy drink.  Then I get myself a large popcorn with extra butter, Peanut M&M’s, and a big ass Diet Coke – because, you know, I need to share with the little people.  These kids are children of my own heart, and love popcorn as much as I do, so they always end up running out and I refill them from my big bag of p-corns.

Oh, and yes, I may eat 90% of it myself.   It doesn’t take very much of my giant popcorn to fill their little boxes.  I don’t even tell them I have the Peanut M&M’s stashed in my purse, I just sneak them out and eat them myself when it gets dark and they are wrapped up in the movie and don’t notice.

Then there’s the possible stop at Boston Pizza afterwards.  I always promise myself that I’ll order something light, but then I fall down the rabbit hole of Cactus Cut Potatoes and delicious cheesey pizzas - “I’ll take a Small… the Individual size looks too tiny” – and, of course, the notorious dessert menu that twists my arm every damn time.

When I was discussing these movie/dinner plans with my sister this morning via text message, she said, “I think you’re trying to eat healthy this week, so maybe we won’t do supper.”  And I said, “No, no, I can eat healthy at Boston Pizza… it’s the popcorn I’m worried about.”  But really, it’s all just one big booby-trap, isn’t it?

So here’s the mission:  Small popcorns for the kids at the movies, and a small for Jill too – when it runs out, it runs out.  Sorry kids.  And no hidden Peanut M&M’s in the purse.  I’ve also done my Boston Pizza research on their website, and have decided I will be getting an Individual sized Tropical Chicken or Szechuan Chicken pizza, depending how the spirit moves me (and on a regular thin crust, not multigrain as I usually do to be “healthy”, because, as it turns out, multigrain is a trick – it’s more calories than the regular thin crust) – they are two of the lightest options on the menu, ringing in at 500 cals or less, and are the smartest choices I could find.  No appetizer.  No dessert.

This is the mission, and I DO  choose to accept it.  I want to stay well behaved this weekend so that I can commence week 2 of the 21 Day Fix ahead of the game.  No more one step forward, two steps back.

Say a prayer, people.  I’ll hopefully be back to report success next week.

Happy Thursday!

Wednesday Loves

Jill’s Crankfest 2015 continues. I’m outta sorts.  In a funk.  I’m constantly stressing about things I have no control over.  I feel like I’m in a perpetual state of limbo.  And I hate it.

We all know that one of the things I do to pull myself out of a bad mood is to remind myself of things that I love.  Because even on the worst days, there are little bright spots.

(Also, please note that I’m being a tad melodramatic.  These days of crankiness are far from the worst days of my life.  Don’t feel too sorry for me, dudes.)

Here’s a list of my loves this Wednesday:

• Habitant Pea Soup with Smoked Ham.  I’ve been attempting to eat much healthier of late, as you all know, and I suppose canned soup doesn’t rank very high on lists of health food, but it’s been this little bowl of comfort each evening this week that I’ve been looking forward to the most.

• Jared Leto cut his hair.  I really haven’t been a fan of Jared’s Jesus look the past few years.  It delighted me immensely when I heard yesterday that he lopped off his long locks and shaved.  Apparently I’m in a minority, though – what’s up with the ladies liking that look?  ick.  Give me Mr. Clean-Shaven Leto any day.

• The 21 Day Fix.  While I may feel like I’ve been in a rut in many ways lately, I feel like I’ve busted out of one on the exercise front.  My Beachbody coach offered to let me try out his copy of The 21 Day Fix workout DVD’s, and they have been a breath of fresh air to my exercise schedule.  While he was unable to loan me the nutrition guides and containers that also come with the program, I’ve vowed to eat extremely healthy for these 21 days and see what kind of results I can get.  I know, I’m only on my third day, but it feels good to be doing something different.  So far, I’m a big fan.

• Jimmy Fallon singing a medley of duets with Kelly Clarkson on Monday night.  Apparently Kelly has been having a hard time lately finding people to collaborate with, so I thought it was really cute of Jimmy to say, “Hell, I’ll sing with you, Kelly!”

• Speaking of Jimmy… he had Ryan Reynolds on his show as well, and it reminded me of how much I love Ryan Reynolds.

• The Hamburgler.  aka, Andrew Hammond, the Sens’ rookie goaltender who stepped in between the pipes when both our goalies went down, and has been playing AWESOME!!  Last night was his first loss, but it was in a shoot-out, so it hardly counts.  He has me excited about watching the Senators again.

• Adam Levine.  The Voice is back, and I so enjoy my Adam time every Monday and Tuesday evening.

• News that Mike Fisher and Carrie Underwood welcomed their son, Isaiah Michael, last Friday.  I’ll never forgive Carrie for stealing Mike away from me and my hockey team, but I’m so happy for him.  Mike was always one of the nicest, most humble guys, and I have no doubt he will be thrilled in his new role as daddy.
• Knowing that I’m going to be an auntie again in a month or so… My brother and his wife are expecting, and the time is drawing near!  I got a little baby fix on Sunday, getting to meet and snuggle with my cousin’s new baby girl, and it made me itch to meet the newest member of our family.  Coming soon… very soon!!

Well, that’s about it for today, folks.  I hope you’re all having a good week!!

Thoughts on Thursday

• I’m in a total crank this week.  Like, had a full-on meltdown last night because of things I have no control over.  I thought it might make me feel better to get it all out, but it really didn’t.  I’m at that point where I just want to curl up in a ball and disappear.  Throw my hands up and say, “I’m out”.  Go to sleep for a month and when I wake up, hopefully everything has resolved itself.
• Sometimes I hate being a grown-up. 
• And I hate change.
• Well… isn’t this an uplifting post so far.  yeesh.
• Remember yesterday, when I said my goal was to only eat 4 little sandwiches at Soup & Sandwich?  I really didn’t know if I could do it, but I did.  I had a bowl of soup, and four little sandwiches, a piece of pie (and I actually, I had the “diabetic” pie, even though I’m not Diabetic, because I thought it might be a tad healthier), and then a very light supper, just as I said I was going to do.  One small victory.  I’ll take it.
• I’m looking forward to a sort-of-quiet weekend this weekend.  My mom has my sister’s kids for their PD day tomorrow, so I’ll spend the day with them, and then on Sunday we’re going to a family gathering at my aunt’s, but aside from that, no plans.  With a very busy spring and summer shaping up, free weekends are going to be a rare commodity in the near future, so I’m going to soak this one up!
• I have officially run out of Criminal Minds episodes.  My PVR time has been cut down drastically recently, so I guess they lasted longer than they could have, but I’m sad that I’ve hit the end.  I don’t even know how to watch a show that doesn’t have FBI agents in it. 
• Or Jimmy Fallon.

• In recent months, I’ve been on this “expand my Disney movie collection” mission.  I had purchased a few of my favourites in the past couple of years on DVD – Robin Hood, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Frozen – but lately, I’ve been buying more Disney movies than anything else.  Since Christmas, I have added 101 Dalmatians, Tarzan, Brother Bear, and Finding Nemo to the ol’ DVD shelves.

• Fun fact:  I’ve never seen Finding Nemo.  A few snippets here and there, but I’ve never seen the whole thing.  I can’t wait to watch it.  I just got it in the mail the other day, and I’m hoping I can talk Caden and Danica into watching it with me tomorrow.

• Maybe some magical Disney time will make me feel better, huh?  We can only hope.
• My life is so sad.

Have a great weekend, pals.

Week 1 of “Lose Weight Lent”: Big Fail

Yes, that’s what I’m calling this Lenten season:  “Lose Weight Lent”.  Last year was “Sugar-Free Lent”, this year is “Lose Weight Lent”.

Today marks one week down, and boy oh boy, was I an utter failure.

This is the problem with tackling Lent the way I have chosen to this year. When I give something up completely, I can be strict about it.  I can control myself.  By doing this general and vague “I’m going to use these 40 days to lose weight” promise, it gives me too much wiggle room.  It gives me too much freedom to cheat, bend the rules, and lose sight of the goal.

But that is also why this is the perfect Lenten practice for me this year.  One week in, I can see that even more clearly.

It’s not going to be easy to keep focused when the goal is “giving up 15 lbs.”.  But focused is what I must be.  I used to be able to do this really well.  I could be tempted by a buffet of my favourite foods, and instead of diving in, I’d show restraint.  Somewhere along the way, I lost my ability to do that.  I was throwing caution to the wind so often that I forgot what it was like to show a little willpower.

Throughout Week 1, I was unsuccessful in getting back in the groove.  There were too many occasions where I was tempted and failed.

But I did reflect quite a bit on how I once was able to face these challenges and walk away feeling successful.  For instance, last year for one of the lunches, I was doing a 7 Day Clean Eating Challenge, and I was able to tackle Soup & Sandwich without breaking any of the rules.

I think I’m finally ready to step up and be that girl again.

I’ve already wasted one week of Lent, and I’ve now resolved that I’m not going to waste any more of these precious 40 Days.

Today is the first challenge:  Soup & Sandwich lunch at our church.  This is an occasion that I always have trouble with.  The soup is never an issue, but when faced with a platter of delicious sandwiches, I struggle to find restraint.  If I was making a sandwich for myself at home (which is rare), I would never make more than one.  Yet faced with those delectable little triangles at Soup & Sandwich, I can easily lose track and eat the equivalent of two full sandwiches…sometimes more.

Then comes the dessert.  I always bop around the dessert table – today, it will be laden with assorted kinds of pie – and search for the biggest piece.  Once I’ve selected my giant piece of pie, I’ll top it with a huge dollop of whipped cream.  And no, I won’t leave one crumb on my plate.

Then, I return to the office feeling stuffed, and by mid-afternoon, very dopey and sleepy.  Happens every time.

My goal today is to enjoy Soup & Sandwich, but dig deep to find some willpower. To not go pure glutton once I hit that church basement.  My plan is to eat no more than 4 little sandwich triangles – the equivalent of one sandwich.  I contemplated skipping the pie altogether, but I’ve decided I will allow myself a modest piece.  But then a very light supper tonight shall follow.

There will be more challenges coming up in the coming Lenten weeks.  A baby shower, an Irish Tea, a day of bridesmaid dress shopping that I’m sure will include a stop for a bite to eat…

Today will set the tone.  Today, I will prove to myself that I can do it.

If I can “give up” 15 pounds by Easter Sunday, I will be feeling rejuvenated, and very much back on track again. My clothes will feel good again, and I’ll have my confidence back.

This Lenten goal is probably more important than any other I’ve had before.

I can’t lose sight of that.

It’s almost Lent. AGAIN.

I know, right?  Like, wasn’t it JUST LENT a few weeks ago?  I remember it with terrifying clarity.  It is a little shocking that it has creeped up on me again.

Normally, I have a game plan set long in advance.  It’s weird, but what I give up for Lent always is a long thought process for me.  I usually have a list of things, I weigh pros and cons… I put an irrational amount of thought into it.  Then, once I’ve settled on what I’m giving up, I put a lot of thought into how I’m going to handle it.

I get a little obsessed with it, actually.  I might take it a smidge too seriously.

But not this year.  I have no freakin’ clue what I’m giving up this year.

As we all know, last year I gave up sugar & artificial sweeteners.  It was hard.  And I don’t think I ever fully recovered from the sugar binge that followed.  I truly believe that what you give up should be something important; something that you know you will miss; something that you know will be a challenge.  If I never ate chocolate (hahaha, funny joke), and then decided to give up chocolate, well, then… what’s the point, right?  That’d be too easy. 

But last year… Last year was almost too hard.

So I’ve been thinking about what I would really really miss if I had to give it up, but that won’t totally destroy my life.  Honestly, right now the one thing I can’t seem to get enough of is hot chocolate.  But I’m not entirely sure I’m prepared to give it up.  I know, that’s ridiculous, since it’s just a small portion of what I gave up last year.  But I’ve come to soooo look forward to my big mugs of hot chocolate lately.  Since getting back on track after Christmas, it is the only indulgence I’ve really permitted myself…

Oh wait.  Another problem I have is dining out.  While I’ve rid my house of the junk food (save the hot chocolate, of course), I haven’t really stopped myself from eating out at restaurants so much.  And I haven’t made the healthiest choices while eating out at restaurants.  I know that removing that from my life would be a challenge – but again, almost too big of a challenge.  There are dates I have circled on my calendar in the upcoming 40 days that will involve dining out, and I don’t want to cancel them.

I know many people who say that you don’t have to give something up for Lent – instead, you can make a vow to DO something instead.  For instance, I could simply take the Lenten coin box they offer us at church and follow the schedule for adding coins to it each day.  But I did that last year in conjunction with the giving up sugar, so isn’t that taking a step back this year if I only do the coin box?

I’m really stumped this year.  I’m just not sure what I’m going to do about it.

One idea that I keep coming back to is to just use the time period of Lent to really focus on getting back down to a weight I’m comfortable at.  I’ve been doing much better the past two weeks at eating healthy (aside from the hot chocolate), and of course I’ve never wavered from my workout schedule, but I’m not seeing the results I’d like to see.  I need to give it more focus and devotion. 

I’ve also been thinking a lot about McDonalds and how I haven’t eaten there for almost two years… sometimes my mouth waters when I think about Big Macs, and I thought if I was successful at reaching my goal weight again during Lent (I’d have to lose about 15 lbs), I’d reward myself with a visit to Mickey D’s.  I’m still not 100% sure if that’s what I’m going with, but it does seem to be the idea I’m leaning towards the most…

Have you given it any thought?  Do you give something up, or do something as a Lenten practice?  What are your plans for Lenten promises this year?

Wednesday Hodgepodge: On Love and other stuff

Having writer’s block these days, folks.  So might as well use some prompts to churn out a blog post on this frigidly bright Wednesday!  Here’s some Wednesday Hodgepodge!

1. Have you ever written a love letter? Have you written one recently? Had one written to you? Did you keep it?

Of course I’ve written love letters.  I’m a hopeless romantic.  Have been since I was a wee little girl.  I just don’t think I’ve ever actually delivered a love letter. ;)  I haven’t really written any recently, no.  And I don’t really recall ever receiving any, although I probably did when I was a kid.  There were, like, 3 boys in my elementary school class that I bounced around, surely to God ONE of them wrote me a love letter back in the day!

2. What’s a movie that ends in a way you especially love?

There are so many.  But because it’s fresh in my mind, I’m going with Cocktail.  I discovered a few weeks ago my DVD was missing, so I bought a new one (yes, it is one of my all-time favourites, I cannot exist without it in my collection), and then watched it right away.  It’s totally cheesey, but when Flanagan gets up on the bar and recites a poem to his unborn child, it melts my heart.  Fun fact:  when I was young, my sister had taped this movie on VHS from the TV, so the version I grew up watching was edited for TV, and also, the tape cut out right at the end when Jordan says to Brian, “Bet I can still spook you.”  I had no idea what she whispered in his ear, and my sister refused to tell me.  Took me years to find out just exactly how it ended. (I had my suspicions – it was pretty obvious – but I wasn’t sure until getting my hands on a real copy years later!)

3. Something that makes your heart sing? And for those of you who are parents, I mean something besides your children that makes your heart sing?

Snow!  Beautiful, falling, accumulating snow!!  Oh come on, dudes.  It’s still only February.  Too early for springtime.  Let it SNOW!!!  I love the smell in the air when it’s snowing.  I love the sound of snowplows waking me at 4:30 AM.  I love the crunch of it under my boots when I walk.  Nothing quite like a snow day… Snow makes my heart sing.

4. What’s the last event you had to attend, phone call you had to make, routine task you needed to complete, or meal you had to prepare, that you did do, but only half-heartedly?

I honestly can’t think of anything right now.  I hate talking on the phone, so pretty much any phone call I make is half-hearted.  Also, I’m the “social notes” writer, representing my town in our local paper (there are a handful of towns that the paper circulates to, and each has a correspondent that shares news, birthday wishes, etc.) – and there are weeks when I don’t want to be bothered with it, so some of my columns are written and submitted half-heartedly, I confess.

5. Tuna fish salad-yay or blech? If you said yay, how do you like your tuna salad prepared? Hey, this is the Hodgepodge, right?

Yay, but a mild yay.  I have to be in the mood for it.  Growing up, I was always an egg salad girl, but tuna was just about the only fishy thing I would eat for years.  I’m a big BLECH on salmon sandwiches, but I could handle tuna.  I like it with Hellman’s mayo, diced onion, celery, chopped up dill pickle, salt & pepper.  I like it on a whole wheat or multigrain bread.  And now, I’m realizing, I AM in the mood for it!

6. What’s something you ‘know by heart’?

In Flanders Fields by John McCrae.  I can’t think of anything else… I know there are song lyrics and other things, but right now, it’s that poem that comes to mind.  I always kind of amaze myself when I discover I can recite it without pause or fail every year on November 11th.  I guess they really drilled it into our brains at Remembrance Day ceremonies in school.  I’m proud of the fact that I can rattle it off as well as I can.  It’s an important poem.

7. In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, what two or three word phrase would you write on a conversation heart for someone you love? That someone could be a spouse, child, parent, cousin, bestie…anyone at all whom you love.

“I Love Jimmy”.  OK, I stole this.  Jimmy posed this question to an audience member the other night, and when she replied “I Love Jimmy”, he rewarded her with a hug.  I thought she was pretty damned lucky.  Plus, all of my family and friends – even the kids – know about my Jimmy love, so they’d only think it appropriate, right? ;)

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I’m actually excited for Valentine’s Day this year.  This is big for me.  And no, I don’t have a hot date.  My sister’s kids are coming for a sleepover/movie night, and I truly do look forward to spending this time with them.  I have a plethora of ideas for fun things to do – go sliding!  make crafts!  eat pizza & V-day treats! bake cookies!  watch movies! – probably more than we can accomplish during one day/night – but I’m excited. 

The V-Day Conundrum

I’ve been thinking a lot about Valentine’s Day this week, as it looms in the not-so-far-off distance.

I know what you’re thinking.  “Why are you thinking about BARF Day, Jill?  You hate BARF Day.”

And that would be correct.  I really have hated it in the past.  Loathed it.  Most Love Days were spent lamenting the fact that I was single and alone.  One was spent at my dad’s funeral.  The day has just never held any warm-and-fuzzy connotations for me.  I used to try and rally my single friends to join me in an anti-V-day celebration, but let’s face it… I have no single friends left anymore.  It’s just me.

OK, it hasn’t always been that bad.  There have often been surprises – treats from my mom, or my friends – to lift my spirits.  Last year, it delighted me to no end to find that my friend Stacy’s kids, Maddy and Tanner, had left Kisses and pictures at my door for me.  And to be honest, I’ve always kind of enjoyed planning what I was going to do that day to “celebrate”.  I played up the fact that I was throwing a pity party for one, when in actuality, I relished the thought of watching my favourite movies  and treating myself to my favourite comfort foods.

This year, I can honestly say I’m actually looking forward to it.  This could, perhaps, be because of the revelation I’ve had  in the past six months, which is that I think I kind of want to be single.   I like doing what I want, when I want.  I like my routine.  I like living alone.  For the first time in a long time, I don’t find myself wishing for a man in my life.  I’m enjoying the freedom.  Imagining it being otherwise kinda almost makes me panicky.

So, by dropping the whole “I hate Valentine’s Day and all the stupid people in love” attitude, I can now look at it as a FUN occasion again, like I did in elementary school.

The problem is this:  Ideas keep swirling through my head on how to celebrate, and I just can’t DECIDE!!!  Because it’s on a Saturday, I know I have a whole day to fill, and the options are endless!!!

• Because going to the movies is one of my favourite things to do, the obvious choice is to take myself to see 50 Shades of Grey, which will be debuting in theatres next weekend.  However, I have the feeling the theatres will be packed – with both armies of single girls and sappy lovey dovey couples – so I think I’d rather wait a few weeks til the hype dies down.  Besides, who needs a theatre full of people judging someone who is there ALONE on Valentine’s Day.  And their giant extra-buttery popcorn.

• I’ve thought several times that I should take my mom out for dinner.  Somewhere nice, a place we don’t normally go to, as a special treat. But again, every Tom, Dick & Harry will be out for dinner that night.  We don’t need to get tied up in those masses.  (And also, don’t need those judgers again - “It looks like she’s on a date with her mom??”)
• So maybe a nice dinner at home then?  Something fun and special, like lasagna or homemade pizza?
• Back to the movies – as we have well established, I love watching movies.  So of course, getting some yummy treats and settling in for a movie marathon sounds fabulous to me.  I’ve contemplated re-watching the entire Twilight series – spending V-day with Edward? Not too shabby, eh? – but I’m not convinced that’s really what I want to do… I’ve also thought of watching some of my favourite old-school flicks, like I did around this time last year.  Funny and cheesey… maybe just what the doctor ordered for a single girl on V-day?

• Of course, getting a little taste of Jimmy is a MUST!  I could go back and revisit some of my favourite episodes of The Tonight Show that I have saved on my PVR, or maybe even watch Fever Pitch (again)…

• Another idea I’ve had is this:  I’ve been wanting to have my niece and nephew for a sleepover sometime soon, and maybe this would be a fun opportunity to throw a little Valentine’s Day party for them, while giving my sister and BIL a chance to go out sans les enfants?  Maybe take them sliding?  Have a fun supper?  Get them some sweet V-day treats?  And of course, watching movies?  An extra-special sleepover at Jilly’s?  I honestly think this might be my favourite plan of all – but it will all depend on whether or not the kids are free.  Knowing my luck, they already have plans.

So, what do you think a single girl (who has decided that maybe she LIKES being single) should do to celebrate V-day?  Have you made plans?  If so, what are you & your loved ones doing to mark the occasion?

What I’m Loving Wednesday!

Good morning, folks!  Thought I’d pop in for a few minutes this morning to share some of my LOVES this Wednesday :)  I think some of them might be repeats from recent What I’m Loving Wednesday Posts, but as we established yesterday, my life has been pretty same-ol’, same-ol’ lately (just the way I like it).

• I love that it’s snowing.  Seriously, not much brings me more joy than watching pretty white flakes falling outside my window.  Snow is definitely my *thing*.  Bring it on.
• I’m loving that I finally got some organizing done in the “junk room” at my place.  I had it completely cleaned up for the Christmas House Tour, but when the decorations came down, they all just got tossed in there and it became a disaster once again.  I finally bought a few big bins and took a couple of hours to sort through it all, box it up, and put it in storage.  I can be quite a little procrastinator when I want to be, so taking this one giant step AWAY from being on the next episode of Hoarders was a huge relief.
• Potato Leek Soup.  I’m a little bit obsessed with it these days.  Especially the pot I made on Monday…it turned out exceptionally yummy.  Also, I can trick myself into believing I’m eating poutine.  I take a pita cracker, put a small piece of cheese on it, and dip it in the soup.  For someone who hasn’t eaten poutine in over two years, the combination of flavours is divine.

• I love hot chocolate.  It’s totally my gig right now.

• Also, Matthew Gray Gubler.  And Jimmy Fallon.  Love them both.  But everyone already knows that.

 

• Jimmy has taken The Tonight Show on the road to LA this week, and I have to say, he’s been firing on all cylinders thus far.  My Facebook newsfeed is jammed with friends sharing clips of the highlights each day.  There was a time when I was  one of a select few who shared Jimmy vids on Facebook… I’m kinda loving that everyone is now doing it for me. ;)

• Something I have NOT been loving is that my Cocktail DVD disappeared into thin air.  I discovered several weeks ago that it was missing from my collection, and I’ve spent too much time searching for it and wracking my brain trying to think of who might’ve borrowed it.  I honestly can’t think of anyone who would’ve wanted it.  In any case, I searched for it on Amazon yesterday, found it, and it should be in my hands in the near future.  Cocktail Crisis: Averted.

So… what are YOU loving this Wednesday??

Tuesday Randoms

A quickie random post to prove that I’m alive!

• Possibly the biggest sign yet that I am officially a grown-up:  I got terribly excited yesterday about buying a new vacuum.  Like, got it home, out of the box, and vacuumed instantly.

• Criminal Minds.  I’m still terribly obsessed, and I’m very quickly running out of episodes.  Also, I’m madly in love with Matthew Gray Gubler right now.  It terrifies me to think of the fast-approaching day when the PVR no longer holds any episodes for me to watch…

• I watch little else it seems these days.  I have movies and other PVR’d things, but I seem to gravitate to the Criminal Minds eps only.  Well, that and Jimmy Fallon, of course, but my mom says if I write about Jimmy Fallon any more, she’s going to boycott the blog.
• It’s still so damned cold out.  I’m so totally over it.  I still love the snow, but the cold has worn out its welcome.
• I admit that I’m terribly dry on blog post ideas these days – hence, the reason it was so easy for me to just not write anything last week.  There was nothing interesting for me to share, other than it was cold, and I made soup, and I watched Criminal Minds, and I finished a puzzle… Even Jimmy was off last week.
• But he’s back this week!!

• I’m afraid this week is shaping up to be equally bland, as evidenced by this post thus far, as I attempt to wax poetic about vacuums and the weather and my love for Dr. Spencer Reid…  Just go watch the lip sync battle again.  At least it’s entertaining.
• Oh, here’s a thing:  I’ve declared yet another “Healthy” Month – and this time, it’s “Healthy February”.  I never got back on the wagon in January, sadly, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to remember what life was like back when I used to eat healthy.  I’ve been weighing what’s more important to me:  Eating foods that I love but are bad for me, or fitting into the clothes I worked damn hard to fit into.  At this point, I’m torn.  I hate the thoughts of giving up my junk, but I could almost cry when I put on clothing that clearly no longer fits me.  I need to give this healthy thing another fair shot.  I owe it to myself.
• I’m easily annoyed today.  The littlest things are driving me nuts.  And it just dawned on me that this probably goes hand-in-hand with my return to healthy eating.  It will take a few days for me to get over feeling sorry for myself and realize that I’m feeling a million times better.  Until then… I’ll be a bit of a bitch.  Just a heads up.

That’s all I’ve got for this Random Tuesday… Have a good one, dudes!

Thoughts on Thursday

It’s Thursday.  Which means that technically, it’s my Friday.  Which means that technically, it’s my favourite day of the week.  Woo hoo!!  Let the weekend BEGIN!

But first…some randomish Thursday thoughts…

• My boy band du jour is One Direction.  OK, so I guess they are everyone’s boy band du jour.  But really, I adore OneD.  I don’t even know their names (as evidenced by Jimmy Fallon playing this game the other night on his show – Jimmy knew ‘em all, I was done after Harry) – but I downloaded their latest album “Four” last week, and it’s soooo goooood.  PS – I may never grow up.

• Speaking of boy bands… you know, I’ve always had a soft spot for ‘em.  But one boy band that I never got into was The Jonas Brothers.  I couldn’t tell you one song of theirs.  I knew they were crazy-popular for a while, but they just weren’t on my radar at all.  Didn’t even think they were handsome. So, it was a bit of a surprise to me when Nick Jonas cropped up with his solo career, lookin’ all sexy-shmexy, and hooked me with “Jealous”.  That’s my jam.  I especially loved the performance he did with the contestants on The Voice last year, what he calls the “Gospel” version. LOVE!

• There hasn’t been a whole lot good going on for Sens fans this season.  To be honest, I’ve been so disenchanted by my team since Alfie left that I don’t even watch them all that often anymore.  They’re still my team, but my enthusiasm for them is lacklustre at best.  But you know what can brighten any cold January day?  Beating the Leafs.  It doesn’t happen often, so I love when it does!

• Our church’s Soup & Sandwich lunch is starting up again for the winter months, with the first one being held next Wednesday.  I signed up to make Potato Leek soup, which means I get to do one of my absolute favourite things some time this weekend, and that’s make soup!  The sad part about making soup for Soup & Sandwich is that I don’t get to dive into it right away… that’s hard for me to do.

• I’m now on DAY 3 of healthy eating, feeling much better, but knowing I still have a long way to go to get back to pre-Christmas weight.  Some days, the struggle is exhausting.  I’m currently going through the “My life is no fair” stage, where I lament the fact that even though I work out five days a week, I still have to be SO SO careful with what I eat or it’s all for naught.  I’m gazing longingly back at those blissful weeks over the holidays when I ate whatever I wanted.  I know I’ll get past this stage, but right now… I’m hating how it is for me and food.
• Oh, hallelujah, I FINALLY FINISHED THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST!!  Only took me  a year or so. I can finally shelve it and move on with my life!!!  Next up is another book club selection, Ransom Riggs’ “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children”.  I’m only a few chapters in, and I’m already enjoying it.  It’s different, but in a good way.

OK, so I really don’t have a whole lot going on these days.  Which I’m kind of  enjoying.  January might feel like it lasts forever, but I like the slower pace and the hibernating.  I’m already looking forward to another weekend of it. ;)

Blue Tuesday, Better Wednesday

I saw on Twitter on Monday that it was considered to be the most depressing day of the year.  Blue Monday, they called it.  A combination of fading holiday warm-n-fuzzies, failed New Year’s resolutions, and super-cold weather all gang up on the poor people of the world and aim to make us sad.

I have to admit, I didn’t really fall victim to Blue Monday.  I didn’t get that dreamy snow day I had been planning on (mainly because it DIDN’T SNOW dammit), but it wasn’t a bad day.  I was off, of course, so I got to sleep in a little, got lots of reading done, watched that blast from the past “Three Men & A Baby” (and loved it just as much!), made a giant pot of spaghetti sauce and invited my ma over for supper… It just wasn’t a “Blue Monday” for me.  Not in the least.

But then Tuesday came.  The day started off with me realizing my “fat” pants are too tight on me now.  Just lovely.  After getting ready for work, I stopped in to have breakfast with my mom, as usual; however, our conversation seemed to circle around sad topics, which left me wondering why the hell I’d even bothered putting on make-up that morning.  I mean, I even cried over the death of my aunt & uncle’s dog. (RIP Rocky…) 

When I checked my calendar after arriving at work, it dawned on me that it was the anniversary of a friend’s passing, and from then on, I just chalked ‘er all up to just a sad day in general.  I felt extra-sensitive at work, like I was on the verge of tears, and had a hard time controlling it all.  Then I had a small altercation with a co-worker in the afternoon that bothered me more than it should have.  I was so done with this day.

I went for a brisk and frigid walk when I got home to blow off some steam, and then settled in for a quiet evening. I ate a healthy supper (because yesterday was DAY 1 of trying to get back on track – AGAIN), worked on my puzzle, read for a bit, and then fell asleep on the couch watching TV.  Big mistake, because when I finally moved up to bed around 10:30, I could NOT for the LIFE of me fall asleep.  I tossed and turned and read some more and who knows when I finally drifted off… I usually fall asleep fast and hard, so I was NOT impressed.

Blue Tuesday.  It was one for the books.

I’m not one to wallow in self-pity for long though, thank goodness.  My first thought when I woke up this morning was “It’s a new day”, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

I actually woke feeling better than I anticipated, considering the tossing and turning and sleeplessness during the night, and I dragged my butt from my warm cocoon earlier than I have in a long time.  I also noted that physically I felt better than I have in weeks.  I didn’t feel bloated and sore and creaky.  I’ll chalk that up to a good solid day of healthy eating & some exercise.  I even took the time to straighten my hair, which has pretty much been a non-existent activity since Christmas.  Because it just takes so much more effort.

This morning, I felt like I need to make that extra effort.  To make myself feel good.  To feel better.  I stepped out into the extremely cold morning, and instead of grumbling about it, I felt grateful for the bright sunshine and beautiful glittering snow.  I walked away from Blue Tuesday and vowed to not let it creep back into my day again.

I guess the point in all this is… Bad days happen.  We all go through slumps. Get ourselves into ruts.  We can do our best to try and fight it, but sometimes, the bad days get the best of us.   And that’s OK.

Because each day is a clean slate.  A fresh start.  A new bright and shiny morning.  A chance to kick that Blue Tuesday to the curb and get back at it again.

I’m ever so thankful for that.

Let’s Hibernate

It’s that time of year.  The time of year when I just want to sink deep down inside my cocoon.  Surround myself with warmth and cozy-ness.  It’s the time of year when every inch of me just wants to hibernate.

I’m trying hard to fight it this year.  I’ve been planning outings and activities and trying to keep myself from shrinking within the confines of my home for the next three months.  If I don’t force myself outside of my cave, I find that when the spring finally rolls around, I almost resent it.  I enjoy these quiet, cozy winter months more than the average bear.  I like the slower pace.  I like the extra “me time”. 

So yes, I have been making myself get out of the house.  But still, I relish the thought of hunkering down for a few days and just… hibernating.  And if the long-range weather report is to be believed, it looks like I’m going to have a nice little snow storm to hunker down in coming up on Monday.

That delights me.  Way more than it should.

So if Monday does indeed turn into a “snow day”, what would I like to be doing?

• For one thing, I wouldn’t be rushing to get out of bed.  I hate waking to an alarm, but usually I keep it set, even on my days off, so that I don’t get used to lazing around in bed.  Makes it easier to get up on the days that I DO have to.  I might just cancel that alarm for Monday, though…
• Having an extra cup of coffee.  “One cup a day” is my rule, except for Sundays (I have one before church, and one after when we go out for brunch).  I will for-go that rule on a snow day, though.

• Watching Retro Toons!  Not for long, but the kid at heart inside of me still enjoys starting off the morning with some cartoons.  I love the Teletoon Retro channel, because it allows me to watch many of the ones I grew up loving.

• I’m not a “stay in the jammies all day” kind of girl.  Never have been, never will be.  So by mid-morning at the latest, I’ll be ready to get showered and dressed.  However, I can guarantee that I’ll be dressing cozy!  Leggings or yoga pants, oversized comfy sweater, fuzzy socks… perfect lounging attire!
• I’ll be eating comfort food.  When I was a kid, my absolute favourite lunch was macaroni, tomato soup, and cheez whiz.  I don’t make it very often anymore, but for some reason, I do associate it with cold and snow.  I might just whip some up for lunch on Monday! (don’t worry, I’ll make sure I have my Shakeology for breakfast!)
• Working on a puzzle.  It’s become one of my favourite winter pastimes in recent years.  I love to start a puzzle after Christmas, then leisurely work on it during the winter months.  The one I started this year hasn’t gotten very far, but I look forward to having downtime to work on it.

• Putting on a pot of soup or chili or pasta sauce… I haven’t quite decided which yet, but I’ll be picking up groceries tomorrow and that will dictate which I end up making.  There’s just something about being holed up inside while the snow falls, and having the delicious smell of something simmering on the stove… it totally adds to the atmosphere.

• Watching movies.  For whatever reason, this is the time of year that I yearn to watch “old school movies”.  And I have a list of favourites that I could potentially watch.  #1 on my list, though, is Three Men and a Baby, which is new to my collection and I can’t wait to watch it.  It’s been a long time!

• Making popcorn and hot chocolate.  They just go hand-in-hand with a cozy day inside watching movies.

• Oh, I can’t just spend a whole day bumming around, can I?  I’ll do laundry.  Monday is always laundry day.  Come hell or high water.  Or snow.
• Maybe bake something? I’m trying to get my ass back on track (pretty unsuccessfully so far, though), so this might be one thing that I don’t do, but it is the time of year when I want to make bread or muffins or cookies.  We’ll see… Maybe I can finally teach myself to keep a few for myself and give the rest away. (ha!  yeah right!)
• Reading.  I’m on a literary mission, and that is to finish The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest.  I started reading it over a year ago, after enjoying the first two novels in the trilogy, but just couldn’t seem to get into this one.  I ended up abandoning it about half-way through, but I very rarely walk away from a book, even if I’m not liking it.  I feel like I have to get through it.  And I have promised myself that I’m not picking up another book until I finish this one, at long last.

• Staring out the window.  It’s no secret that I love snow.  So if the white flakes are falling, you’ll find me peering through the blinds at any given time, mesmerized by their beauty and soaking up a winter wonderland scene.

I’m an expert hibernator. I can’t wait!  Let it SNOW!!!