• /
    • Archives /
  • November 30, 1999

Archives For November 30, 1999

Two crappy tasks + one fantastic accomplishment

February 24, 2013

Maternalmedia just celebrated its one-year anniversary on February 19. Back when I began this blogging site, I touted it as “only therapy for those who are easily distracted and overly committed,” because that basically sums me up in a nutshell.

I believe the overall purpose still rings true today. I also think this site has evolved into something a little more – a place where you can hopefully feel a bit uplifted or inspired to take action.

I tend to get inspired by people when I need it the most.

One such person is someone I met in high school and continue to follow because her story is incredible. She recently launched a Facebook brand page called Grown Up Spinach. It’s all about how she is attempting to model her family’s eating habits after her own personal (amazing) clean eating and weight loss journey.

One of the first articles she shared on her page was Coca Cola’s Low Calorie Beverages Will Kill You Before They Solve Obesity by the Food Babe. As a Coca Cola junkie myself, I have felt firsthand “The stimulation you get from the caffeine, along with the taste of something sweet,” and how it “keeps you coming back for more and more.”

I now know the sugary, fizzy crap is absolutely awful for me, but I bought into the multi-billion dollar industry’s “Happiness” ploy and taste long before I was old enough to realize I was ruining my health sip by sip.

Another person has taken her love of healthy eating, alongside the love of her husband, and created a company called Completely Nourished. The pair recently announced their decision to live in an RV and sell many of their household possessions…even the house itself eventually…to travel wherever their hearts lead them.

If you have 10 minutes to spare, here’s a great video of Christy explaining how she and her husband were once completely clueless about what they were putting into their bodies, and how they’ve done a total 180 and adopted additive-free eating.

My challenge is taking what I find inspiring and applying it to my life. I know what’s best for me, yet I have a tendency to slip back into old habits.

I made a conscious decision that, for one month straight beginning today, I will complete at least two tasks I do not want to do and one gratifying accomplishment I yearn to do every day.

My two crappy tasks today were:

  1. I did not drink a single coke.
  2. I pre-cooked lunches for myself so I wouldn’t eat out for at least four days this week.
not too shabby shrimp and pasta

not-too-shabby shrimp and pasta

My one fantastic accomplishment today was:

  1. A two-mile walk around my neighborhood.
icicle melt

may our stress melt like icicles on a warm wintry day

I’ve learned that I’m better at following through with goals when I make them public. If anyone else wants to participate on this month-long journey with me, I guess I’ve always felt that misery enjoys company (Have I mentioned how much I’ll miss coke? Let me clarify…the drink!)

Created by Heidi Woodard

In Calorie counting, Dining, Fitness, Home, Inspiration, Stress release, Support , , , , , , , , , ,
permalink

Simple isn’t stupid

August 1, 2012

Many people assume that my home state of Nebraska is nothing but cows and cornfields. They are surprised to learn that its biggest city, Omaha, boasts events like the Olympic Swim Trials, the NCAA College World Series, and one of the nation’s most popular zoos.

I’ve never lived on a farm. I’ve never gone to the state fair (but I will attend for the first time later this month…can’t wait to blog about THAT). I’ve never wrestled a pig. I don’t travel on horseback. I don’t consider steak a food staple. What other Nebraskan myths can I debunk?

The point of this post is not to sell you on Cornhusker football. Please don’t falsely assume we all have season tickets because college football is the only thing happening around here. I’m also not trying to convince you we are as fast-paced and exciting as major metropolises across the country.

The point is that we don’t have oceans or mountains or great public transportation, and I’m ok with it.

After college, I chose to remain close to family because, frankly, I couldn’t survive without their support. Plus, my husband never wanted to move either so once we had kids, our desire to relocate diminished even more.

However, I like to travel and see how other people live their lives.

I recently backpacked across Europe, fished in Iceland, danced in Spain, drove to western Nebraska. Yep, I was THAT adventurous. It was a work trip and I got to ride along as a coworker navigated. I learned to appreciate the vastness, the emptiness, and solitude of what I saw out my passenger side window.

What intrigued me the most was how every community we visited was gracious with their time and attention. It’s not that they’re not busy. I’d bet that the vast majority of people I met put in more hours than city slickers half their age. They are simply too polite to not shake your hand and hear you out.

They don’t spend hours a day on the latest social media outlets updating people on their interests and whereabouts. They prefer to sit down to dinner together and share how their day went. They don’t waste away hours at the water cooler gossiping with coworkers about reality television. They’d rather live in reality…from sunrise to sunset.

Yes, we Nebraskans may be slower. And you could learn a few things from us.

In Belonging, Dining, Family, Home, Honor, Inspiration, Memories, Reflection, Stress release , , , , , , , , ,
permalink

It’s 6 o’clock in the evening; where are your kids (eating)?

February 20, 2012

I know I am solid at a lot of things, but cooking is not one of them. Meal planning, grocery shopping, ingredient mixing, table setting, post-meal clean up…I would seriously prefer to sit through a root canal while having my legs waxed.

To all the natural born chefs out there, my competitive side both envies and dislikes you. I cannot stand it that you are so much better than me in the kitchen. Yet, at the same time, I count my blessings that you are part of my life. Otherwise, I would surely starve or be incredibly obese if left to fend for myself.

My husband bears the brunt of the culinary work in our household. He doesn’t mind it, but I don’t blame him for not wanting to cook every night. On those nights when he wants a hot meal prepared for him, we opt to eat out. It’s not that I don’t try. I do. But I always come back to the same impulse: Eat out because it’s easier.

So here’s a couple of snapshots from our evening out tonight.

Almost every kid is happily waiting for their meal to arrive.

"Sure wish mom could cook like grandma."

I know I’m not alone in admitting we eat out more than we should. Feel free to rat yourself out, if for no other reason than to make me feel better.

In Dining, Home, Restaurant, Shame , , , , ,
permalink