I really don't set out to come up with a title that alliterates, but these 4 items were on my mind. I know it's been a long hiatus from the blog, but September and October were utterly crazy. I think November is a bit more calm, now that we're almost half-way through, but I certainly don't expect December to go by unnoticed.
We have settled into all our regular routines around here. School is going well for the kids, and they are busy with sports, piano, birthday parties and all that other fun stuff that kids get to do. I've been trying to keep up with my running as regularly as possible, and I've done a few races to keep myself motivated and focused. Connor and I ran a 5k race together in October - we had a great time running together, and I was very proud that he was able to run the whole time! He hadn't trained at all, so I was very impressed with him. I hope we can do some more races together in the future. It's likely only a matter of time before I have to work to keep up with him, so I should enjoy this while I can! This is a great time of year for running - the temperature is perfect most days, it's not too wet, and it's so peaceful running through the forest on a bed of fallen leaves and watching more leaves gently falling. The added bonus is soaking in the hot tub in the chilly air right after a run.
So, on to renovations! I have added before pictures to the blog, but don't yet have the during and after photos. I will be sure to post those once I have them ready. We had decided that we'd like to knock out the wall that separates our office from our laundry room/mud room, and move it over to create more space in the mud room. Our office was huge, and even now that it's smaller, there's still plenty of space. But we found ourselves feeling very crowded in our mudroom, with kids and backpacks and bags of groceries and shoes and jackets and laundry all getting in the way! So, the wall was moved over (not by us, of course), and the tile floor ripped out and replaced with cork flooring and the walls repainted, and now we have a much improved space! All we have left to do is to add "lockers", which come with seating, hooks, and shelves, and we should be completely organized. Those should arrive in the next couple weeks, and we're very excited to see the finished product. So far, I'm just enjoying all the extra space when doing laundry, and not having anyone getting smashed in the head by the door! (My kids have a habit of sitting down to take their shoes off right in the path of the opening door).
I was pretty lucky and got to take two vacations in the month of October. The first was by myself, for 6 nights, to BC. I spent a night in Vancouver with my cousin Frieda, and we ran the seawall together. Something to cross off my bucket list! Then I spent several days with my sister and her family, and we did a roadtrip to Oliver to visit my folks. It was great seeing my niece and nephew. I had a very fun morning (too short, of course) with my lovely friend Corina, and then I ended the trip by hanging out with my BFF, Carla. It was a fantastic holiday - so great to see everyone and to see the sights of BC (happy to visit, but Ontario is home!).
I was home about a week, and then we ventured out on a family roadtrip to Chicago, with my mother-in-law along for the adventure. We were gone for 4 nights and we had such a fun time. It was great exploring a new city, and between the Navy Pier, downtown Chicago, Soldier Field and the Lego Discovery Center, there was so much to see and do. I highly recommend visiting Chicago if you ever get the chance - it's a beautiful city.
Finally, (and I'm trying to give you the Coles Notes here) - raw food. I was asked recently if I have gone raw yet, and the question got me thinking. At first, I felt like maybe I had failed a bit, as I certainly do not eat a completely raw diet. But then I wondered, did I ever really plan to do that? Perhaps I saw it as the ideal to strive for but did not consider the feasibility. However, I feel like maybe I have succeeded after all. No, I do not eat 100% of my food raw, and I'm guessing that I never will. I have done enough research and reading to understand a lot of different perspectives. Some are very rigid and legalistic, others much more flexible and thus, more doable. One of my favorite perspectives on this subject is given by the writer of a blog called Choosing Raw, who doesn't advocate for eating 100% raw. She does, however, eat 100% vegan. I love her clarity, honesty and knowledge on this whole subject area, and have come to respect her opinions. Check it out if you want to know more.
I do feel that I have succeeded, though, in dramatically increasing the amount of raw food that I eat on any given day. While dinner is rarely a raw meal, breakfast almost always is (usually a smoothie) and lunch often is raw or partially raw, and snacks are usually raw. Other changes I've made are to cut back on the amount of meat my family eats, to add a lot more fresh fruits and veggies to our diets and to slowly cut back on processed food. Some people may accomplish these things cold turkey, but in our family, the gradual process seems to be working. It's easier to get everyone on board this way. I'm thankful that my family is receptive to the positive changes, and I make sure to regularly talk to them about the choices we make. I am realizing that perhaps "going raw" isn't my ultimate goal, but rather, "going healthy" is.
On that note, I'm going to drag myself away from the computer and get to bed for some healthy sleep! Thanks for checking in!
We have settled into all our regular routines around here. School is going well for the kids, and they are busy with sports, piano, birthday parties and all that other fun stuff that kids get to do. I've been trying to keep up with my running as regularly as possible, and I've done a few races to keep myself motivated and focused. Connor and I ran a 5k race together in October - we had a great time running together, and I was very proud that he was able to run the whole time! He hadn't trained at all, so I was very impressed with him. I hope we can do some more races together in the future. It's likely only a matter of time before I have to work to keep up with him, so I should enjoy this while I can! This is a great time of year for running - the temperature is perfect most days, it's not too wet, and it's so peaceful running through the forest on a bed of fallen leaves and watching more leaves gently falling. The added bonus is soaking in the hot tub in the chilly air right after a run.
So, on to renovations! I have added before pictures to the blog, but don't yet have the during and after photos. I will be sure to post those once I have them ready. We had decided that we'd like to knock out the wall that separates our office from our laundry room/mud room, and move it over to create more space in the mud room. Our office was huge, and even now that it's smaller, there's still plenty of space. But we found ourselves feeling very crowded in our mudroom, with kids and backpacks and bags of groceries and shoes and jackets and laundry all getting in the way! So, the wall was moved over (not by us, of course), and the tile floor ripped out and replaced with cork flooring and the walls repainted, and now we have a much improved space! All we have left to do is to add "lockers", which come with seating, hooks, and shelves, and we should be completely organized. Those should arrive in the next couple weeks, and we're very excited to see the finished product. So far, I'm just enjoying all the extra space when doing laundry, and not having anyone getting smashed in the head by the door! (My kids have a habit of sitting down to take their shoes off right in the path of the opening door).
I was pretty lucky and got to take two vacations in the month of October. The first was by myself, for 6 nights, to BC. I spent a night in Vancouver with my cousin Frieda, and we ran the seawall together. Something to cross off my bucket list! Then I spent several days with my sister and her family, and we did a roadtrip to Oliver to visit my folks. It was great seeing my niece and nephew. I had a very fun morning (too short, of course) with my lovely friend Corina, and then I ended the trip by hanging out with my BFF, Carla. It was a fantastic holiday - so great to see everyone and to see the sights of BC (happy to visit, but Ontario is home!).
I was home about a week, and then we ventured out on a family roadtrip to Chicago, with my mother-in-law along for the adventure. We were gone for 4 nights and we had such a fun time. It was great exploring a new city, and between the Navy Pier, downtown Chicago, Soldier Field and the Lego Discovery Center, there was so much to see and do. I highly recommend visiting Chicago if you ever get the chance - it's a beautiful city.
Finally, (and I'm trying to give you the Coles Notes here) - raw food. I was asked recently if I have gone raw yet, and the question got me thinking. At first, I felt like maybe I had failed a bit, as I certainly do not eat a completely raw diet. But then I wondered, did I ever really plan to do that? Perhaps I saw it as the ideal to strive for but did not consider the feasibility. However, I feel like maybe I have succeeded after all. No, I do not eat 100% of my food raw, and I'm guessing that I never will. I have done enough research and reading to understand a lot of different perspectives. Some are very rigid and legalistic, others much more flexible and thus, more doable. One of my favorite perspectives on this subject is given by the writer of a blog called Choosing Raw, who doesn't advocate for eating 100% raw. She does, however, eat 100% vegan. I love her clarity, honesty and knowledge on this whole subject area, and have come to respect her opinions. Check it out if you want to know more.
I do feel that I have succeeded, though, in dramatically increasing the amount of raw food that I eat on any given day. While dinner is rarely a raw meal, breakfast almost always is (usually a smoothie) and lunch often is raw or partially raw, and snacks are usually raw. Other changes I've made are to cut back on the amount of meat my family eats, to add a lot more fresh fruits and veggies to our diets and to slowly cut back on processed food. Some people may accomplish these things cold turkey, but in our family, the gradual process seems to be working. It's easier to get everyone on board this way. I'm thankful that my family is receptive to the positive changes, and I make sure to regularly talk to them about the choices we make. I am realizing that perhaps "going raw" isn't my ultimate goal, but rather, "going healthy" is.
On that note, I'm going to drag myself away from the computer and get to bed for some healthy sleep! Thanks for checking in!
