Luck and Hard Work - March 2019 W.I.S.H. Goals

Talk about anything on your mind - questions, struggles, discoveries you've made this week…

Yesterday was a big day for my kindergarten class. Each month, a different grade level is in charge of our "leadership assembly". We have been working as a school to raise money for Alex's Lemonade Stand. But for kindergarten, I wanted to make it a little more concrete to attempt to make it more meaningful for them...as opposed to raising money for an organization that they don't really see the results of. Don't get me wrong, it's an amazing organization and I fully support raising money for it. I just wanted to make a meaningful experience for kindergartners. So we talked a little about what it's like for kids who have cancer and how it can be scary for them and their families & friends. We looked at pictures of a local hospital and what their waiting room and treatment rooms are like for the children's cancer center. Then I asked them what they thought we could do to help these kids. They came up with the idea of buying the hospital a Nintendo Switch (gaming console) for the kids to play with while they were there for their appointments. They came up with the idea of doing chores (at home, their grandparents homes or for neighbors) to make money and then they would donate the money they make for the switch. Yesterday was our assembly and we proudly shared that the 53 kindergartners at our school all worked hard to raise $250! We had some of the kids share what they did to earn the money, including helping to care for a baby brother, vacuuming, helping with laundry, setting the table & helping with meals. We're going to continue collecting donations. But I was just so surprised by this amount since our area is made up of mostly low-income families. This was very generous of their families. It was very heart-warming and inspiring!
 
I made "Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chili"

Taco Seasoning Ingredients:
1 1/2 TBS ground cumin
1 1/2 TBS chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Mix seasoning in small bowl.

In the crockpot, combine 8oz tomato sauce, 15 oz can black beans, 15 oz can kidney beans, 10oz frozen corn, 20 oz (2 10 oz cans) diced tomatoes w/chilies, 1 small onion (chopped), 4 oz chopped green chilies, and taco seasoning. Stir well. Nestle 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 oz each) on top and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours or high for 6 hours. About 30 minutes before it's done, remove the chicken and shred. Return the chicken to the slow cooker and stir well.

Serving size: 1 cup
Calories: 221
Fat: 3 g
Saturated fat: 0.5 g
Cholesterol: 44 mg
Carbohydrate: 28 g
Fiber: 8.5 g
Protein: 21 g
Sugars: 6 g
Sodium: 729 mg
I’m making this for sure! Love the homemade taco seasoning.
 
I think what you said about sports is a big reason here - no school wants to be the "odd one out" and do it first (but if all the schools in a particular conference would agree to do it together, that problem would go away!)

The other reasons given around here are after-school jobs and childcare. - Families complain that they need the high-schoolers to get out earlier to be home for the little ones in the afternoons.

I don't want kids walking in the dark, either, but I'd say the solution is not to start any grade quite that early.

Those are the reasons here too...sports, jobs and caring for younger siblings after school. But I totally agree...older kids need to start later and the younger kids work best in the morning!
 
Yesterday was a big day for my kindergarten class. Each month, a different grade level is in charge of our "leadership assembly". We have been working as a school to raise money for Alex's Lemonade Stand. But for kindergarten, I wanted to make it a little more concrete to attempt to make it more meaningful for them...as opposed to raising money for an organization that they don't really see the results of. Don't get me wrong, it's an amazing organization and I fully support raising money for it. I just wanted to make a meaningful experience for kindergartners. So we talked a little about what it's like for kids who have cancer and how it can be scary for them and their families & friends. We looked at pictures of a local hospital and what their waiting room and treatment rooms are like for the children's cancer center. Then I asked them what they thought we could do to help these kids. They came up with the idea of buying the hospital a Nintendo Switch (gaming console) for the kids to play with while they were there for their appointments. They came up with the idea of doing chores (at home, their grandparents homes or for neighbors) to make money and then they would donate the money they make for the switch. Yesterday was our assembly and we proudly shared that the 53 kindergartners at our school all worked hard to raise $250! We had some of the kids share what they did to earn the money, including helping to care for a baby brother, vacuuming, helping with laundry, setting the table & helping with meals. We're going to continue collecting donations. But I was just so surprised by this amount since our area is made up of mostly low-income families. This was very generous of their families. It was very heart-warming and inspiring!
This is a wonderful story! And you’re right , it’s often the families that can give the least that give the most.
This is one of the things I miss about being retired-working in a school just lifted my spirits so many times.
 


I’m making this for sure! Love the homemade taco seasoning.

It really fulfilled a need for me during the cold this week...something nice and warm, yet healthy!!! My daughter likes to bake, so she made some cornbread muffins that went well with this! 1 muffin was 170 calories...but I figured that I earned it after my workout that day :)
 
Yesterday was a big day for my kindergarten class. Each month, a different grade level is in charge of our "leadership assembly". We have been working as a school to raise money for Alex's Lemonade Stand. But for kindergarten, I wanted to make it a little more concrete to attempt to make it more meaningful for them...as opposed to raising money for an organization that they don't really see the results of. Don't get me wrong, it's an amazing organization and I fully support raising money for it. I just wanted to make a meaningful experience for kindergartners. So we talked a little about what it's like for kids who have cancer and how it can be scary for them and their families & friends. We looked at pictures of a local hospital and what their waiting room and treatment rooms are like for the children's cancer center. Then I asked them what they thought we could do to help these kids. They came up with the idea of buying the hospital a Nintendo Switch (gaming console) for the kids to play with while they were there for their appointments. They came up with the idea of doing chores (at home, their grandparents homes or for neighbors) to make money and then they would donate the money they make for the switch. Yesterday was our assembly and we proudly shared that the 53 kindergartners at our school all worked hard to raise $250! We had some of the kids share what they did to earn the money, including helping to care for a baby brother, vacuuming, helping with laundry, setting the table & helping with meals. We're going to continue collecting donations. But I was just so surprised by this amount since our area is made up of mostly low-income families. This was very generous of their families. It was very heart-warming and inspiring!

I love this story on so many levels!! :sad: <--- Happy Tears
 
I made "Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chili"

Taco Seasoning Ingredients:
1 1/2 TBS ground cumin
1 1/2 TBS chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Mix seasoning in small bowl.

In the crockpot, combine 8oz tomato sauce, 15 oz can black beans, 15 oz can kidney beans, 10oz frozen corn, 20 oz (2 10 oz cans) diced tomatoes w/chilies, 1 small onion (chopped), 4 oz chopped green chilies, and taco seasoning. Stir well. Nestle 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 oz each) on top and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours or high for 6 hours. About 30 minutes before it's done, remove the chicken and shred. Return the chicken to the slow cooker and stir well.

Serving size: 1 cup
Calories: 221
Fat: 3 g
Saturated fat: 0.5 g
Cholesterol: 44 mg
Carbohydrate: 28 g
Fiber: 8.5 g
Protein: 21 g
Sugars: 6 g
Sodium: 729 mg

I bought all the ingredients I needed for this and will make it Monday. I’m getting together with a friend that’s going through a stressful time right now and can bring her a nice size container of this. Do you think it freezes well?
 


Those are the reasons here too...sports, jobs and caring for younger siblings after school. But I totally agree...older kids need to start later and the younger kids work best in the morning!

There is one high school in our area that does alternative hours (not the one my kids attend) but they haven't quite gone with the older teens startling late - years 10,11 & 12 start at 7.30am and finish at 12.55 pm (leaving them time for after school jobs) and years 7,8 & 9 start at 10.25am and finish at 4.05pm. This would obviously be an adjustment for parents getting those younger ones to school after their own work usually starts - I am pretty sure the buses run to accommodate the time differences. I have no idea what happens for sport. It is quite a large school and I think they did this partly to make use of the facilities across the span of the day to accommodate student numbers. We have trouble making it to school by 8.30ish for a 8.50 start some days and my teens at 15 in year 10 this year - I can't imagine us getting there by 7.30 :rotfl:

With my weight this morning - I am at the lowest I have been in 3 years :cheer2: and I have done that in 7 weeks (tomorrow) I am down 4.3kg (or 9.4 pounds) - as @Oneanne likes to say I have just hit Onederland at 199 pounds (just there but I'll take it). I am steadily moving closer to the Overweight section of BMI rather than Obese and best of all - I am enjoying the way I am eating. I had been sceptical of Keto before but I can't argue with the results I am getting and it feels more like a way of eating I am settling in to. I am off to do the meal planning for another week - busy day today with kids doing shifts all over the place - so we aren't going to find a time to be activity all as a family today. Maybe DD and I can squeeze a walk in together later when the boys are working. It will be a late night tonight - DS18 has a late finish at 11pm. He had a driving lesson last week and 2 scheduled for next week - he is very anxious about it all and that has gotten in his way of getting his licence before now - but hopefully we can boost his confidence and get him over the line.
 
@4Mickeys, congratulations!!!!

yes, I'm leaving work to go get my hair done!

Good for you!!! You deserve some me-time!!!

For foodie Friday, well, (a)I didn't get to it until just now (b)it's not healthy, just less UNhealthy… (c)I'll have to wait a week to let you know how it turns out... but... I am marinating a corned beef in my fridge this week. It's a recipe I've used before and it turned out reasonably well, if I remember correctly. Since normal corned beef uses brisket, which is (deliciously) mega-fatty, I experimented a few years back with substituting a leaner cut of beef (tends to be cheaper, too...)

https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/corned-beef-brisket-from-scratch-115220#activity-feed

I did add a pinch of ground cinnamon and a pinch of whole allspice to the marinade/brine, just because I like the flavors they add, and I didn't have kosher salt, so I substituted regular. The foodies on the site make a big deal that homemade is healthier because no nitrates, but for me, it's just a "more for the calories" equation... but oh, the pink, nitrate-filled, fatty storemade kind is sooooo delicious!!

Which reminds me, I was feeling experimental the other day, so I tried a package of Buddig corned beef lunch meat. Overall, I don't have much nice to say about that brand... I suppose it's ok if you only have $1, perfect blood pressure (super salty,) and no tastebuds… but even in my poor-starving-student days, I found most of their products gross... *BUT* I have to admit, for 58 cents and 100 calories, their little pack of corned beef lunch meat tasted surprisingly good. So, if I ever have an irrepressible craving for fatty corned beef, now I know of a cheap, portion-controlled option...

And for my weekend "whatever..." hmm... yesterday was a difficult day... I responded by eating far too much Chinese food... it was mostly chicken and vegetables, so not the worst calorie-wise, but the sodium was astronomical, I'm sure, and I think it scared my husband when I even ate the fried rice that comes with it (usually I give it to someone else or feed it to the chickens...)

Today I got a little yard work done, LOTS more to do, but the weather was less-awful-than-usual, so I filled up the back of my van with bags of vines and chunks of fallen tree and got those to the dump before they closed. We have curbside pick-up, but only if you cut the logs into smallish chunks and use paper bags for the leaves/vines... well, it's a great idea for the environment in theory, but aside from the bags being more expensive and smaller than plastic bags, they fall apart if they are exposed to too much rain between the time you fill them and the time they are picked up... I had piles of debris all over the back yard from where I filled the bags on Sunday, then went to put them out Monday night and the bottoms ripped right out... <sigh...> So today I used plastic bags, filled them up, emptied them at the dump, and brought them home again to use again. I'm hoping to get the last bit of the old apple tree down-and-gone this week before I vacuum out the van for use as a camper next week on my trip. Meanwhile, we made a pile of suitably dried twigs and small branches and I'm hoping to do my first campfire of the season this week... mainly because it's an easy way to get rid of the sticks, but also, I want to experiment with campfire cooking for if I ever get to go *REAL* hiking (not day-hiking) when the kids are older.

Tomorrow, if the weather is decent, I will be walking on the local trail with my old friend from high school. She is going through a difficult divorce, and likes a companion/witness when she drops off/picks up her child for/from visitation with the ex, so the plan is after we drop the kiddo off, we'll go walking so she can vent a bit and get some fresh air and maybe distract herself from the situation for a bit.

And, obsessive trail-planning update: I got hiking poles!!! I am now *OFFICIALLY* an old lady, red hat or no red hat! I own not 1, but TWO adjustable canes!!! (Not really, the handles are different, but still...) And I splurged on a sun hat (brown, not red) that is totally cute in a not-cute-at-all sort of way... but it folds down really small and it crazy lightweight and breathable. Walking sticks plus don't-care hat are official hallmarks of impending seniority! Out on the AT, most of the people are 20-somethings, so yeah, I'm totally a granny by their standards...

And that's all my news for now... that and my chickens are adorable... oh, and I am soooo broke for the rest of the month because I'm getting new bees!!! I splurged for 2 colony units for pick-up at the end of April. Yay!!! (We didn't have any last year after a bad winter the year before, and I missed their silly little selves...)
 
@4Mickeys, that’s wonderful! I’m glad it’s working for you-you seem to have a good handle on how it works with the results to prove it! Zhoen, I think you’re going to have good hiking weather-and yay for your bees. I’m going to order one of those bee hotels for my backyard.

My family came over today, so we had corned beef and I tried a new cabbage dish to go with it. We really liked the cabbage-you sauté onions and sliced carrots (I sliced some baby carrots longways) in some olive oil for about 5 minutes, add a T of cumin and salt, dash pepper and a splash of balsamic. Add half a head of shredded cabbage, sauté another 10 minutes and then cover and cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Add a little water if it seems too dry. Everyone got seconds on this, so I think it was a hit!
Tomorrow looks like a good day to walk, most of the snow is gone so I can probably get out on the trail again.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone-isn’t it nice having daylight until almost 7:00?
 
This weekend did not go as planned. We did get some painting done Friday and Saturday but DD got a fever on Saturday. She came out of her room at about 11 telling me her head hurt really bad. Her cheeks were flushed but can be normal for her. Something told me to take her temp. It was 101 something. Gave her mortin and sent her to bed. DH birthday was saturday and we were all going out to dinner. DH happened to be on the phone with her when we found out DD had a temp. She was not pleased. We told her that I would stay home with DD and DH and DS would still go. She kept saying that we should still bring her. So when the time came DD wanted to go. She didn't make though dinner before her headache came back and she was feeling dizzy. I left with her and brought her home.

Last night and today she has been spiking to 102.8 (the highest so far). Mortin is lasting about 8 hours and during that time she feels great but as soon as it wears off she is miserable. She is only complaining about her back and heard hurting so no clue what she has. If she has a fever tomorrow I will be taking her to the DR. if she still has a fever. She is not happy about this fever. She has maybe only have had a fever like 5 times in her life so I know she is pretty sick. DS gets them with a simple cold. He was admitted to the hospital at about 4 months for a fever that was just because of a cold. It is not unusual for him to get up to 105 with his fevers. Thankfully he does not get sick often.
 
congratulations!!!!

that’s wonderful! I’m glad it’s working for you-you seem to have a good handle on how it works with the results to prove it!

Thanks Ladies :flower1:

And, obsessive trail-planning update: I got hiking poles!!! I am now *OFFICIALLY* an old lady, red hat or no red hat! I own not 1, but TWO adjustable canes!!! (Not really, the handles are different, but still...) And I splurged on a sun hat (brown, not red) that is totally cute in a not-cute-at-all sort of way... but it folds down really small and it crazy lightweight and breathable. Walking sticks plus don't-care hat are official hallmarks of impending seniority! Out on the AT, most of the people are 20-somethings, so yeah, I'm totally a granny by their standards...

All I could think of after reading this was Phil Dunphy - Modern Family - with his walking poles :rotfl2: Go you serious hiker - I love it :thumbsup2






@piglet1979 - hope those kiddos feel better soon :-)
 
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Happy "Motivation Monday"! - What's motivating you this week?
...
 
With my weight this morning - I am at the lowest I have been in 3 years :cheer2:
That's wonderful! You've found something that works for you. Keep it up!

Last night and today she has been spiking to 102.8
I hope she feels better soon!!

Happy "Motivation Monday"! - What's motivating you this week?
This week, I'm feeling motivated by my ability to lift more. I've increased my weights and it feels great...I mean, sore. But a good sore ;)
It's still not much compared to what the girls are lifting in the videos, but hey...progress is progress! And I'll keep increasing the weights as I can.
 
What is motivating me this week... Friday I was finally able to dial in to one of the presentations our Women in Tech group puts together, a panel discussion on being a woman working here at our company. It started with each panel member declaring who they are and how they identify themselves, which was really impactful for me. Being invisible was a survival mechanism I developed growing up in an alcoholic household and for some reason it's been an issue for me at work lately. So that's my motivation for this week - to be visible, to clearly state who I am and what I'm doing.

The massage Saturday morning was lovely and really helped. She did a test using some CDB lotion on one arm to see if it made a difference, and boy did it ever... today that arm still feels different than the other. Over the weekend I also finally remembered to get Omega supplements, which I've been out for almost a month. I got the top of the line version with CoQ10 and took a fist full to get started, which has also made a difference in how I feel.

Here's to a happy and healthy week for us all!
 
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Happy "Motivation Monday"! - What's motivating you this week?
...
I used to post versions of these in the library every March along with study guides for the SATs, improving work habits, sports skills, etc. So true!

This is going to sound funny, but I cleaned out the medicine cabinet this weekend and threw away some antacid tablets and painkillers that were really expired. I realized since we eat better and get some exercise (not enough, but I’m working on that!) we just feel better. And I feel lucky in the sense I can get around without any discomfort and fit into my clothes-and I like when my daughter throws away a catalog because she says the clothes are too old for me!- and I hope to be able to for years to come.
 
@Piglet 1979, I hope she feels better soon! My pediatrician used to call them fevers of unknown origin when there wasn’t an explanation like strep or an ear infection.
 
:drinking:Hello all,
I’m so glad I found all of you! What an inspiration you are! I’ve spent today reading the boards and I hope it’s not too late to join in to your group. We are planning to bring one of the grands and her mom to WDW in...MAY. AS IN TWO MONTHS!!! o_O I have never planned a Disney trip this fast. And I’m really out of shape. So my goals will need to be pretty high and definitely measurable!
For this week, I’m planning to:
1) cook our meals at home, including breakfast and lunch (saves money, too!)
2) increase walking by 100 steps every day. I’m walking about 5000 but not consistently.
3) drink the water!! I used to be so good at this, and I fell away for years. 64 ounces, hear I come.

I also need to walk outside. We live in south Texas and I have to get acclimated to the heat again. We’ve had, for us, (I know, I know)...a weird winter with some very cold days mixed in with warm.
 

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