Tag: Nutrition

Office Decor and Vibes, Nutrition Breakfast Bar, and a Personal Update

On By BackporchwriterIn Decor, Food, Office9 Comments

The little bulletin board has been hung. It looks crooked from the angle I took but it doesn’t look crooked in person, lol. I will be adding some things to the board that I need to remember from time to time. Common phone numbers, a few GL codes, and such.

This plant adds a lot. It gives a little bit of height to the room. Don’t you love my little cowboy Roo?

I like my little spikey plants.

A big part of my “feel good” in a work day is having a nice wallpaper background. I use Microsoft themes and change them up from time to time. I’d have enough of the Winter snow scenes and changed it to an ocean theme. Also the little LED lamp for $27.99 that takes up no space at all, allows me to have a low light situation and calming w/o the overhead lights blaring down. This helps with stress tremendously.

I ordered some breakfast bars from Target, picking them with protein, less sugar, and the most nutrients I could find. This one was awesome. I told you all I’d share my journey on converting from the wellness program that I do that is network marketing, to finding food, supplements, and drinks on my own that become solutions. I just wore myself out on the wellness company I was doing. Their breakfast bars were so heavy and dense they added to constipation, lol. But I was really not liking the price with shipping and tax for just the piddly items I was ordering. If you are all in, it’s worth it but I piddle (lol) with it now and who wants to pay nearly $40 for a bottle of sleep spray every six weeks? I’ll find my melatonin elsewhere. I’m about to run out of the critical items so I’ll have to begin my research and visit some health stores for replacements. They are about to change our carts on my wellness program and ordering system and lower the shipping I think, so I thought about waiting, but I still think it will all be overpriced as you are paying for those that sell it. While I want to support MLM (multi level marketing) I’m just trying to trim some expenses because we’ll be heading into retirement in a few short years and I won’t be wanting to pay those prices then.

But this Kind Bar is a winner. Excellent taste. Good protein, made with super grains. It had a good cinnamon taste but not too sweet. A good mix of flavor. Like you could taste the nuts and oats but it was chewy and not too “oaty”! Loved it. Comes with two short bars and was a perfect thing for breakfast, along side some fruit or save the fruit for break. I had applesauce with me so I had that. I also buy the natural applesauce without added sugar. It’s really good as a snack or side dish. And an apple a day keeps the doc away so maybe applesauce will too.

Don’t know much today but here’s what I do know.

*Katy and River are feeling better. River took 3 steps at daycare, surprising himself, Katy said. ;-). He’ll be toddling very soon. Such an exciting milestone. I’m sure we’ll be face timed one day and get to see it.

*I’m only three returns away from Quarter End being done. But have to do Year End w-2 reporting in all states that we have employees in, plus any year end reports that the states have. I will have to count how many returns/reports I’ve done. I get the w-2’s today and will be able to start working on them after my payroll duties today – I cut garnishment checks on Thursday mornings and pay on line child support, and get ready for next payroll garnishments (some have to be figured each week). I also have a couple of new garnishments to process and so I can’t ignore my normal weekly job. I have been working over each night. Have tried to get there earlier but that part is not working out because when I work late then my evening is shorted and end up needing time at home the next morning so it’s just a cycle of ruining the routine. Again, I feel really good that 1/31 is soon here as I’ll either be done or not and we can just go from there. As of right now I’ll be working some this weekend. I’ve decided I will not work FT both days though b/c I will be as sour as load of clothes sitting in the spin cycle for a week, if I don’t have some time off to do some personal things. I guess my personal view on it is that it’s just too much to cram into small time frames – even if I had not gone to TX, we didn’t have the snow day, or Mom didn’t have a bunch of doc appointments and I didn’t have to be taken away for meetings then I’d still not have had the w-2’s until 2.5 or 3 business days before deadline in which one day is part of a main payroll processing day. That doesn’t give me a fighting chance to finish on time does it? – for 26 or 28 states, plus the same for the other company – maybe 10 or 12 states? Nope. So I guess I’m of the opinion that we should change something if we want to be a success. But I understand that everyone else is on deadlines too and so it just is what it is. But all this will soon be over – the deadline at least. And just having that over with helps. I’m not sure we’ll make it. It doesn’t seem fair to me to be the one left with the weekend to try and get all these done. I’m NOT, repeat NOT working ALL weekend. The tribe has spoken, lol. Soon I’ll be able to focus on my agenda and not working extra and I cannot wait to get some of my life back. I’ve looked forward to bed every night so I can not think about it for 7 hours. lol. Now that we are at the end, I’m tired, mad as wet hen, and wavering, lol! I’m ready to have some down time. This month has exhausted and flattened me. But I Thank God for keeping me sane b/w work, Mom, and trips, snow, and flu. 😛

*I have come home and poured a glass of wine and we eat and watch Ozark. We are almost finished with the season. So I’m thankful to have had that diversion when I get home. I often fall asleep during part of it, but then get up and go to bed.

*We have booked with our neighbors for Trivia night next weekend and to buy their dinner. We had it scheduled for last week but I forgot about Mom’s doc appointment day that we were going after for a blooming onion so I had to cancel as the blooming onion was already planned. I should have known to consult my calendar book as busy as it gets. But they can do it next week so we’re going then.

*George has been focusing on our dinner with the Ireland’s soon. I cannot focus that far yet until Feb 1.

*My boss asked if I wanted to go to lunch today. I said yessssssss. She said we are close enough to Feb 1st. It doesn’t matter anyway I guess, I’m already having to work this weekend, at least for part of it – might as well eat.

*It’s supposed to snow tomorrow, but…..only like a dusting to half inch. I’m keeping my eye on the situation and the radar and all that. I may just take some work home and go home early in case the streets get icy b/c it’s going down really low in temps and we have so many hills to go up and down to get home. I get scared.

*I did have time one evening to finish up the Roger tribute video, while George cooked our dinner. So I’ll see if I can get that loaded/uploaded for the weekend. So I might not blog tomorrow so I can get that going on YouTube. We’ll see.

Ok so over and out. That is all my thoughts and feelings for now. I guess by the weekend we can do a drum rollll……did she finish Year End or not? My prediction is NOT. But I will do what I can at work and a reasonable amount this weekend, Monday on 1/31 is when I prep for the Tues payroll so not a lot of time will be spend on it. Que sera sera!

Working During a Holiday Week and the Quest for Good Nutrition at Non-MLM Prices

On By BackporchwriterIn Uncategorized6 Comments

George’s company had the employees off Monday for their 2nd Christmas holiday and then their New Year Holiday is Friday, and I believe that is how many companies did it. We only had the one holiday at Christmas this year. And I really missed it. It feels like a holiday week for me though still – only that I’m having to work it, lol. Meanwhile George made his holiday time productive by making pot pies with the turkey and ham leftovers. These are somehow in our freezers. There’s not room for much else. But better than the leftovers go to waste.

I cannot wait to have time to look at my Christmas gifts again, to get my nails done, to plan 2022, to do the next bucket list, to work on the Year in Review, to work on Roger’s tribute. But we are in full work mode – excuse me – I am in full work mode. Some of us actually have a 3 day week if you were lucky enough to have an employer that gave you the 2nd holiday and New Year’s Eve off. I’ll be singing the praises next week though on the 3rd when I’m off for our New Year HOL on my birthday. I only work ONE day next week to do payroll and then I’m off the rest of the week and we fly to Texas for grandson’s first birthday party.

I have been pretty much exhausted and a bit under the weather this week. As has George. Christmas does this every year to me. So I’ve gone in early and left early – not that much earlier though. I should have left by 3:30 every day but I think it’s been more like 4. So the company getting extra work out of me. lol Should make them very proud, lol lol. Today we have bad storms, possibly tornadic so I plan on coming home and folding checks from home so I’m not caught on the road. I’ll work part of the day from here to avoid that. There is NO WHERE to stop should there be any bad storms in b/w there and home. So it’s important on days like this to make sure I’m not on the road when it starts to happen.

I’ll probably go in early today anyway. So again, I’ll probably end up with a longer day rather than a shorter one. Usually how it turns out. lol.

The roofer guy came yesterday for a more proper inspection of our roof. They did a temporary fix to the obvious from the last storm til they could get out and do a proper full inspection. We were in a waiting line from the last storm.

So one of the things on my mind, with rising costs occurring, and also our need to sort of ween ourselves into a more of a retirement mode kind of lifestyle (so we don’t go cold Turkey in a couple of years) is to take myself off of any of the wellness products I’ve been using. It’s so good but it’s so expensive when you add shipping and tax. I get it. It’s MLM (multi level marketing), but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the products. I just need to make a list of all the things that I use and begin visiting some health food stores or on line places and see if I can’t get some of it more cheaply. Maybe there are some things at the grocery I’m just not aware of. That will be one of my projects this year. I’ve done the conversion with my vitamins already. For the most part.

This drink above is filled with nutrition and so are the shakes. So I just have to figure out how to do these on my own. I’m tired of shakes though, lol. So I will work on taking myself off completely. I will always remember the time of my life where I joined the team to do the MLM, it was one of the sweetest, happiest, times of my life, being part of this team and group and having the side hustle. But because of my personality, and my ability to dive wholly into something, it wore me out trying. I was consumed by it and didn’t really have time for it. I had to give it up before I lost family, friends, work. I didn’t look back. I did create this blog “Less Hustle, More Coffee” because I wanted to enjoy the rest of my days. God was telling me that I didn’t need to chase a dream or chase $ to enjoy the rest of my life. George was not on board with my dream anyway – to RV and travel full time for an extended period of time. He was not supportive of this and basically told me if I chased this dream and did this that I’d be leaving him so I guessed that meant he would file for divorce saying I left. So I was chasing something that would be taking us apart. I’m left with supporting “his dream” for retirement I guess instead of mine to stay married, lol. Maybe one day we’ll have “our dream” for retirement. My guess is that we won’t plan it, it’ll just be what it will be. And as of right now, looks like it is being planned for us. Mom has now moved here so it would be rude of us to move away, lol. But if we do I guess we have to take her with us somewhere and I don’t think ANY of us want to move anyone ever again! So yeah, looks like we are concreted here as of now. The kids haven’t said whether they intend to stay in TX or not, so I guess here is where we will be.

Anyway, my main point was that I’ll be on a nutrition journey this year to try and find good things to eat and drink that is not at the prices of MLM where you are supporting bonuses and commission fees. It’ll probably still be expensive though and if in my journey I can’t get what I need, I guess I’ll still do the wellness company b/c there are certain things I just need these days to feel better. We’ll see how it goes and I’ll share with you any things I find. One thing I DID like about the wellness company I do is that there is a lot of research that goes into it and resourcing to get good ingredients. It’s a product you know is good. So we’ll see what happens in the coming year!

Of course I get next to ZERO time lately to do anything I need or want to do. I’m patiently waiting for my weekend so I can even look at my Christmas gifts. I’ve been too tired at night to even go in the living room and piddle.

I really need rest ya’ll. I really, really need rest. I mean I’ve gone to bed as early as 5:30 one night, but usually around 7:30 to give me an edge up. Anyway, let’s get through this work week and then this weekend I’ll be washing and packing for Texas. Won’t have much time next week. It’ll be here quickly.

And that is my mid-week update. So mainly just working and waiting, working and waiting – for time off! As always!

In the Mood to Read and Mid Week Update

On By BackporchwriterIn Books, Life2 Comments

Good day friends! It’s a nice morning here with the likes of summer still hanging on. Fall changes coming soon. The hot coffee is excellent – Kroger Brand’s Private Selection Guatemalan Antiguan. I think it’s even more special than Starbucks.

I’m in a huge mood to sit under a blanket and read and/or play computer games. Having had a few weeks of rushing through many to do lists, many small details of things here and there, and knowing we have many to come – I just want to sit for a spell and read. Last night I had about thirty minutes in which my fizzled brain just needed to sit and be, to enjoy, to be entertained – nothing serious or involved – just mindless and simple activity. It had been a less than perfect payroll day (putting it nicely – it basically sucked, with plants showing their inefficiencies by turning in things late, giving presence of putting payroll to be an afterthought), so was tired of fighting my way through the tangles of the day. It was nice to just sit and be. After piling under the blanket, I realized I needed a glass of water. Normally don’t ask anyone to wait on me but I asked George since he was up “would you do a favor for me?” He said “Depends what it is”. (I might ask him to go buy an RV if he says “yes”). He brought me a huge glass of ice water and I played a game of finding hidden items and then Candy Crush. I played until my eyes were about shut and then headed for bed.

Sleep has been hard to come by this week, for whatever reason. I will sleep for a bit and wake up, sleep for a bit and wake up. I even got up and slept in my journaling chair for a session. I had a dream and George came in the room to check on me and gave me a hug and said “it’s time for you to go back to bed”. I woke up in the chair, thinking maybe God had sent George in a vision to get me back in the bed. So I went and prayed for sleep to come and it did – but again in sessions. I am not sure why but I guess we go through seasons of not sleeping well. I don’t have any thing bothering me – it seems to be more about comfort than anything. But I can’t pin point it. I hate the alarm comes so early because most mornings I could sleep on. I’m about an hour or two off on sleep a night. But I only get about 2.5 hours of evening time as it is so I hate to go to bed any earlier than 8:30. Might as well have a cot at work if that is the case. Why come home. It almost doesn’t make sense as it is.

I’m just tired and retirement cannot come soon enough. These past 3 years have flown, and I suppose the next 3 will fly even faster. But yeah, as I type this blog entry, I’d love to have the whole day off to just sit and read and play or do whatever Sonya wants. I look at the shelves longingly, wanting to dive into other worlds just for a time.

Thanks for everyone who found their way to the latest video and then commented on it. I appreciate it so much. You know I have a link to YouTube also on this blog. Depending on whether you are on a phone, iPad, or computer -it is in different places. On the computer it should be at the top where you have an About Me section and next to it there is a link that says “Videos”. On the phone or iPad I think you can look for the little “three lines” that sends you to some menu items and click on “Videos” there. It’ll take you to my YouTube.

Here is the embed of it if you didn’t catch the link earlier.

Helping Aging Parents – “Just Start Talking”

There are a lot of videos to do b/w this one and current time. I had been worried that there would be not a lot of footage. I also wish I could stay home all day and work on all that. I have too many hobbies. lol

While this video has other stuff in it too, showing some spring storms, our trip to get flowers, spring blooms, it also has some segments of me talking about how we helped Mom with her decisions and I really sincerely hope it helps others when trying to figure out what to do along with your aging parent(s).

We just started talking about what we wanted the end result to look like. We talked about the needs and desires of Mom. I gave her OPTIONS of all the various places we could at or places she could go and I took them back to her. She weighed pros and cons. She knew what she wanted and what she didn’t want. She still wanted her independence as much as possible. The decisions were difficult but as time passes the choices narrow and she decided she still wanted her own house. The only option was to build in today’s market because no one would do the contingency on her house except for a builder, b/c she had time to sell. I’m surprised at how fast things began to happen, once we seriously began to talk about these things and then check on all the options. The door was opened at that point, it wasn’t weird to have the conversation. And it was our responsibility to help in various ways to make the move happen. Mom doesn’t have a spouse as my father passed several years ago. A move like this was not something she could stage alone and we would never let her. So we took on as many of the details as we could – helping her with the real estate, helping pack, getting the storage units set up, renting the truck and moving details, and then getting her to the building of the house meetings.

Mom and Aunt Martha seem to think that we thought it was going to be a piece of cake. I’m not sure why they think that, lol. They both have repeatedly said “it was more than you thought, huh?” as they laugh. Well no, no surprises here as we have moved before and we are well aware of how much work it is. And we knew how much stuff Mom had. It’s why we started early packing. What we were not aware of was how many clothes Mom had, lol, lol, lol. It kept coming out of the wood works. But if you remember me saying all along, “this is an elephant and we’ll eat it a bite at a time”. I guess we are about to eat the elephant butt, lol. We are 2/3 through with the elephant as far as the moving process, living with us, building house, and moving the 2nd time.

I’m still in shock that Mom agreed to come up here but her choices were narrowing and she certainly was not getting any help from the other daughter so…..here we are. And I hope the video helps someone, but it’s not all about moving – it’s just kindof a snap shot of our spring!

I have to delete everything from my iMovie timeline and start on the next one. I do have to go ahead and start ordering some Christmas presents. Katy said they have not decided about Christmas as to whether they are coming here or not. So I’m trying to hold off before ordering their things so I know whether to send it here or ship it there. If they are not coming I can ship there free via Amazon and would rather do that than having to ship it ourselves after we wrap it. Anyway, I have a feeling I’ll be trying to do Christmas shopping, moving Mom and getting her settled all at once. Was hoping to get ahead. But who am I kidding? We will be doing everything all at once. lol If we come out into February 2022 alive with any hair left, with any sanity left, we’ll be doing good and will be cause to celebrate.

And then maybe I can read more! ;-). Someday soon I’ll show you my “line up”. But I can’t finish a book it seems unless it’s on audible.

George fixed us a T-bone steak Sunday night that was heavenly. Along with baked potato and a wedge salad. I was ready for steak. It had been a while.

And for breakfast one morning this week, I had some whole grain Cherios with a banana and with vanilla almond milk. It was so good. I’ve forgotten how good Cherios are. I have to look for a cereal with the minimal amount of sugar and the wholistic ingredients I can find. A bit difficult but I like to have cereal about once a week or every 10 days or so.

Today I’m going for the wellness system shake, the pumpkin version. I really like it. And I think I’m doing soup today unless I need to get away for lunch. But will try to stay and do soup – it depends on how the day goes. Sometimes I need to get away from the desk for a few.

I have been listening to Dr. Berg on YouTube (screen shot below) for his information on nutrition. He is Keto for the most part in his theories, and I’ve chosen to embrace eating Whole Foods but I do like to listen to his videos. This one on sugar really got my attention. Of course sugar is very difficult to completely eliminate. He says only a little can get you back into a situation where you are unable to lose weight. But here’s what happens if you quit for two weeks. Again, it certainly got my attention. Perhaps next challenge I will consider just “giving up sugar”, but I’m sticking with my challenge for now of embracing Whole Foods and I’ve allowed myself to have dessert once a week. I am seeing some small changes in my body which is good only 12 days in. Pants are a little looser, body shape changing a little, less bloating, mood better. I can also say I have experienced 1, 2, 5, and improvement in 7, of his chart below, just by the challenge plans I’ve chosen. So that is good. We are moving toward my goals.

Again, please understand that while I embrace a whole food approach in making my decisions – I still allow certain foods – just not as often. I’ll never give up hamburgers and pizza and some desserts on occasion. So tonight we are having pizza. I’ll partake. But I will probably have less of it than normal. When I’m eating and making my own choices though, I’m doing better and that is the plan. I’m not making everyone around me do what I do. Any help they can give is appreciative but I’ve learned for the most part when people know you are trying to do better they tend to sabotage your plans, usually unintentionally but it happens. I’m just trying to do better – not be perfect. I’ll never be perfect.

And I need to go. I’m running behind. I think everyone in my life can expect me to run behind until at least March. I’m just not set up for success here in any section of my life. So be it. Go with the flow. I’m doing the best I can for all.

Here’s a funny for ya. Screen capture. lol.

Working on next video and to do list tomorrow morning. Will check back in on Friday! Not a lot going on this week in the evenings. I was about to say no doc appts this week but I have a Dentist appt on Friday morning at 8 at my new dentist, for a cleaning. Then Saturday George and I have a meeting with our financial advisor. So thankful they are doing/allowing weekend appointments. We meet with him every six months. We’ll plan to do something fun while over in Hendersonville that day. Likely Sams as well. Maybe lunch.

Ok so I’m off of here to get ready and head to work. I should be leaving right now but you know what? I had to work over yesterday due to a plant turning in a lot of payroll changes while I was in the middle of payroll, halting all of my processes, and delaying things and it was an extra long day- so I don’t mind if I do go in late this morning. If it’s good to go into my evening time then I don’t mind getting that time back in the next morning. 😉 So be it and the tribe has spoken. Tit for Tat and Tat for Tit. lol.

Gone. Over and Out til Friday!