Hello Friends
Happy new week to you! And also MLK Jr day to those that celebrate it. :)
Matt had today off from work so it feels like a long weekend and it's lovely. My sweet Annie is back from Paris too - yay!! I missed her so much. So we've all had a long lounging morning today.
Annie brought us back some goodies from France including: white peach jam, a beautiful floral wallet for me, keepsakes from various cathedrals and castles she visited, a keychain, lovely postcards and some snacks. It was so fun to hear all about her journeys and time with her host family. I was following on whats app as her teacher posted several pics and updates on there over the week & a half too. Some moments were challenging for her and it was such a wonderful growth and learning experience for her. I'm so proud of her and that all of this is inspiring a love of travel and culture within her!
Matt and I had fun this past weekend doing our belated Christmas with our besties the C's. (we had covid before Christmas and they had it after) We went out for dinner and then exchanged gifts and played cards all night. Always such a blast with them. 🤩
And then of course watching the Packers pull out a HUGE win was amazing!! I never saw this season playing out like this for us and I couldn't be more thrilled!! All you need is LOVE and he's been awesome!
💚💛💚💛
The winter weather sure was crazy in all of the games. It has been bitterly cold here and looks like it's going to continue this week too.
Bbrrr 😬
(PS: it was nice to watch your Chiefs do awesome too Jean! 😉 It was a fun game to watch!)
THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:
ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE THIS MORNING:
60 calorie activia yogurt, coffee
ON MY TO DO LIST THIS WEEK:
errands, out for dinner with a gf for her bday, out with another friend for lunch to catch up, help my Mom with some things, hospice work from home and at facility
THINKING ABOUT:
How Matt and I continue to change our lifestyle and habits. We are both working on more regular exercise. Increasing our water. Eating less carbs and sugars. Even going out with friends for various things this week -I will order differently than I used to. We indulge more during the weekends, but try to adopt this healthier lifestyle in daily life. We also stocked up on low cal/sugar treats around the house and I have lots of old WW hacks I'm using for low cal snacks/treats. I'm also adding fasting days that I use also in prayer/rosary time for special intentions. We have both lost a couple of pounds so far. It's a big year and we want to feel good!! 💪🏻
One thing we've also changed with our meals is that we often do protein and then double the veggies instead of doing a starch/carb like potatoes. This night was pinwheel pork chops with salad (I had low cal Italian dressing on it that I love) and asparagus with lemon, garlic and little bit of parm
I also wanted to share that I have all the goodies for the giveaway I mentioned in my prior post (in honor of my blogaversary). I plan to have a whole post about the giveaway, and 2 different chances to win, in a post tomorrow. So come back and check it out! :) This is just one of the prizes that can be won:
AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE
I've finally been taking down Christmas. I got the upstairs tree down after we had Christmas with the C's this weekend. It always looks so bare once it's gone. Lol But I need to put away the downstairs tree yet and going to do that this afternoon while Matt & I watch football on the bigger screen down there. Then I just have a few more Christmasy things to take down but will probably leave out snowmen and some other wintery things.
CURRENTLY READING
Let it Snow by Beth Moran (on my kindle)...I just finished this and it was so good! Had a very Bridget Jones diary vibe to it. I think I'm going to read another novel by this same author next. She writes great feel good reading.
ON THE TV TODAY:
The Crown, Jeopardy, Gilmore Girls episodes, Miss Scarlet and the Duke, All Creatures Great and Small, Shark Tank, several streaming movies we want to watch
ON THE MENU THIS WEEK:
MONDAY - caprese chicken sausages & veggies sheet pan meal
TUESDAY - butter chicken over cauliflower rice
WEDNESDAY - out for dinner for a gf's birthday
THURSDAY - bacon wrapped broccoli cheddar stuffed chicken breast, salad
FRIDAY - maybe out for dinner?
TO RELAX THIS WEEK I WILL:
read, snuggle and watch football or movies, start cleaning and re-organize my kitchen cabinets (picked up some neat organizers)
TIPS OR SOMETHING TO SHARE:
Has anyone ever tried this and know if it's true?
FROM THE CAMERA:
It's been very cold below zero, especially with wind chill, and we often like to put on the fire at night. It's so cozy and warms us up fast.
This little beauty turned 12 recently! Happy bday Ruby! 💜
I finally broke down and got reading glasses beacause I actually need them at times now - makes me feel old. Lol
PRAYER LIST:
For an end to the conflicts all over the world and anyone living in war & fear. For peace and unity in this country, especially from hate and shootings or violence. Prayers for the recent shooting in Iowa. For anyone sick, suffering, in pain, fear, loneliness etc ... that God bring them comfort and peace. For His Light and Love to cast out the darkness everywhere. For Matt's Mom to be fully healed from her cancer, and that her treatments continue to go well. 🙏