Water Challenge take two

So last week I failed on my water challenge on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. This week’s health challenge was going to be running at least twice this week. Then I looked at the forecast. Um, no thanks! I don’t think I can handle starting to run again with highs in the 90’s all week. Ick! So it looks like I need to revamp my health challenge and redo the water challenge for sure. Granted the water challenge is meant to be a life style change, not just a one week challenge and then it’s done for my life. And I definitely drank more water than I would have even on the days I failed. But I definitely can do much better. Let’s go for five days of hitting the mark this week. J

So this week I think instead of starting my running, I will focus on starting back up with my daily strength and flex routine as I call it. It’s a mixture of stretches, strength exercises, and yoga. And I loved doing it every day to wake up with because it just gets the blood flowing without being too strenuous. It’s light enough to do every day, without being so light that get nothing out of it. I do sweat by the end, especially in this heat I will. But it has never left me sore either. And it was really helping me when I was running, and my flexibility improved while I was doing it. I stopped most of it when pregnant, because I couldn’t do pushups or sit-ups or pretty much any of the strength exercises. So maybe that should be my goals for this week for health. Water challenge again (read previous post by that name if you don’t know what that is) and doing my strength and flex every day. I’ll be honest most of the exercises I stole from Billy Blanks tae bo warm ups and cool downs and just added pushups, sit-ups, lunges, and some yoga poses. Just a little something to burn a few calories and stretch my body out. Well, if I’m going to do this, I might as well do it while I have motivation. And while my son is sleeping… ah nap time! I guess I’m off to get dressed and work out! I’ll let you know next Monday how the week went! Hopefully, tomorrow I find time to post about the green cleaners I will be trying soon!

Green Cleaning

I have started in the last year to use some homemade green cleaners. I have to admit so far I’m in love! They are soo much cheaper; I feel most clean better, and honestly, what more can you say about cleaners? I thought I would share which ones I’ve started using and which ones I want to try soon.

Laundry detergent. I am beyond in love with homemade laundry detergent. My skin is slightly sensitive, and obviously my son’s is as well. We always bought “free and clear” versions of the cheap laundry detergent, because honestly, what else could we afford? Young married couples don’t get money trees for wedding presents, though honestly they should. Or maybe we did and they just aren’t mature enough yet? Moving on… The laundry detergent I make is extremely easy, cheap: like I had Dutch grandparents cheap, cleans well, doesn’t affect my skin nor my son’s, and can be used on our cloth diapers! What is there not to love?? Yes, it takes a little time mixing the ingredients, but it took Jer and I about a half hour roughly a month before our son was born and we are still working on that batch three and a half months since he was born. And have a good quarter to third left. So now that I have you sold that it’s amazing, I’ll tell you what it is. Arm and Hammer washing soda (it’s the same as baking soda just a bit stonger), Borax, and Ivory soap. Three ingredients, that’s all. Ratio: one cup washing soda, one cup borax, one bar grated Ivory soap. Some people boil it into a liquid and add essential oils for scent… that’s too much work for me. I stir them all in a big bowl, put it in a sealed container, and use one tablespoon per load. Except cloth diapers, that’s only a half tablespoon. Ah-mazing. And Easy. Admit it you thought it would be hard. But I’m the queen of easy. And cheap- I am mostly Dutch after all.

Next thing I switched to was baking soda instead of Lysol. I hate Lysol. Anything that smells that potent cannot be good for you. And per my husband’s preference, we sprayed Lysol in the trash can after every bag of trash. Ick. Now, we sprinkle baking soda in the bottom of the new trash bag, and after anything majorly stinky. No more smell of Lysol, and honestly no more nasty smells at all really. I even use baking soda in the cloth diaper bin. And only the days where it’s 90 out multiple days in a row (and I hadn’t washed them in about 5 days…) have we smelled the diapers. I keep old parmesan containers for sprinkling baking soda. Works wonders! We keep one in the closet for the cloth diapers and one under the kitchen sink for cleaning.

Next I ran out of toilet bowl cleaner. And I do cloth diapers (as I keep saying). I clean the bowl at least twice a week. I’m not sticking my hands in there unless it’s been cleaned properly. And I ran out of the Works toilet bowl cleaner. Another smelly cleaning product. That I worshiped for needing a clean toilet bowl. So I looked at my list of green cleaners, and there was a mix. A complicated mix of lemon juice, washing/baking soda, and borax. I don’t do complicated. Ever. So I googled other ways. There must be something easier. Easier than running ten minutes to town with a one month old (or less I don’t remember exactly when I ran out) to Dollar General to pick up the Works. Easier than that complicated mix with instructions to boil. So I read the borax box… Hey wow! It cleans and deodorizes the bowl! Hmmm. So I now scrub my toilet bowl twice a week (Mondays and Thursdays typically, thanks for asking) with approximately a quarter cup of straight borax, straight from the box. It would be from a parmesan container if I had more than two empty (well now baking soda filled). Pour in, scrub, let sit for half an hour to overnight, as the box says. I love it. Well mostly. Right now I hate it. Since I started the water challenge and was peeing every ten minutes yesterday, I was going to do the overnight sit. Well I was tired. And forgot. Right now I have five minutes of the half hour left, and am typing faster than I ever have, because I have to pee soooo bad!!! Stupid water challenge. Back to the borax toilet bowl cleaner: it does not disinfect. So if you are anal about your toilet bowl being disinfected find something different. I figure it’s going to hold poop. In fact, I only stick my hands in it for poop. So what’s the point?

Well this post has just hit a second page on word…. So I will make what I want to try next (because honestly those are the only three things we regularly have changed) on my next post. Look out! I have an idea for a next post! One more minute till I can pee….. 

The Water Challenge

This week my health accountability partner and I are doing a water challenge. There are so many reasons when switching your diet to start with a water challenge first. But let me first describe what we are doing and why.

I want to change my diet (Everyone has a diet. I never understood how you go on a diet; everyone is all ready on one.) to be more consistent with what one should be eating. Less sweets, more fiber, more water, less empty calories. It’s not so much about losing weight as getting healthy. Hopefully the weight does drop and that would be great icing on my proverbial cake that I no longer can eat. Speaking of cake, Jerry hid the rest of my birthday cake in the freezer…. Only my husband would think to use my sensitive teeth against me…

Anyway, I want to gradually switch to a healthier diet. I’ve learned that I do much better at gradual change (Kaizen- slow, continuous improvements) than an all-or-nothing start. I just don’t stick with it when I jump in with both feet. I like to slowly go down the steps. Gradually get used to things. That didn’t work out so well with having a baby, but with my diet and exercise regimen it can.

The first thing to do to help in more ways than I thought possible is to start drinking the appropriate amount of water. Most of the time when we (myself included) grab a bite to eat because we are mildly hungry, it’s because we are thirsty. Not hungry. Hmm. So the number one reason I want to start with water is to curb my appetite, therefore hopefully helping my eating less calories a day. Water also obviously hydrates, giving more energy to work out. Or as we are learning, more energy to get up and pee. Less calories in from curbing appetite; more calories out by getting up to pee. There are so many benefits to water beyond just those such as improved brain function and decreased risk of cancer. And it has no calories! Amazing.

So what exactly is the water challenge? Well, the appropriate amount of water per day is half your weight in ounces. So if you weigh 100 pounds you need to drink 50 ounces of water per day. It’s super easy. Kinda. But you try fitting in as many glasses a day as I need to around feeding and napping routines. Not to mention all the peeing. So far today, I have had about half my intake. But the challenge is we have to do it every day this week. Not just today, every day. And from here on out, not really just this week. Basically, you can say goodbye to any other liquids because you will feel soooo waterlogged the first few days! Which is good, we need more water and less calories! Also, most health gurus allow tea and coffee to also count. But remember they have calories. Water doesn’t. Never forget to count your liquid calories as well! (That was when I learned you can’t drink two big glasses of chocolate milk a day and expect to lose weight! Bummer!)

Anyone else want to accept this challenge?

Today is the first day of the rest of my life. But honestly, isn’t that every day?

Today is the first day of the rest of my life. But honestly, isn’t that every day?

Why do people always wait for big cloud parting, lightning striking, hair on the neck raising, tingling sensations to happen before doing something about their lives? Or until a doctor tells them to shape up or die? I myself do that all the time, something big happens, like watching the premier of “Biggest Loser” each year or randomly reading a motivational book or getting pregnant to pretend to change. I say pretend because obviously I’ve never strived hard enough to actually complete a change. I started running and I dropped weight. I got pregnant, had to quit running for health reasons, and got fat again. (Okay I admit remained fat, but got fatter.) I started a blog. Three times. This I figure as number four, because it’s worked so well before. Those big mountain top experiences never actually last for forever. Why? Fear? Probably. But mostly I think all of us have a lack of self-control and perseverance. My waist line proves both for me. So today I step out. I’m starting this on my 26^th birthday: the wrong side of 25 as I’ve heard it so many times. I’m going to try to stick with it this time, and have some accountability to it. I will use my kaizen and actually get through this struggle of not doing my dream. My calling. I’m not me when I’m not writing, reading, knitting, scrapping, and all around starting to be a more natural, simple woman/wife/mother. It’s time to break out and start fulfilling my dreams. But I have to work to achieve them. And I will work on them here.

Friday Kaizen update 2/24/12

This week I will be tweaking my goals some, because I am now realizing with two weeks in a row being consistent with each other, that maybe I started my goals too high. Time to drop my expectations for a week and see how I do. Now, I am the kind who likes to set the standard high, but I am noticing that I am pressuring myself a bit much for 38.5 weeks pregnant. So lets look at what my week consisted of based on last weeks goals:

My daily goals have been close to being achieved everyday. I need to be more consistent, but the goals themselves are great, and will remain the same. But for the majority of the week I have been accomplishing these goals, even if not in the time of day I would like to.

My weekly goals: this is where I need to make some changes. Blogging is looking like I need to try twice a week for awhile until I get a better handle on life. Knitting did go better this week- I knit 3 times, and accomplished a lot. Now instead of a weekly amount of times, I want this project done by next Thursday. I can accomplish that if I push and of coarse that is also assuming no baby in the next week. That could change all goals though :). The house is also sufficiently clean, rounding out my weekly goals as an A- to B+ status in my opinion. Blogging was subpar, but the rest went well for the week!

Yoga is a big failure. This belly no like to cooperate with any poses. It's awkward. So I have been walking and doing just general stretches this week. And frankly, I don't think yoga will be on my list until after baby and I'm mostly healed up again. Laundry only consisted of a couple loads, therefore I did not spread it over two days. That just seemed like a waste for how little I needed to do this week.

February's reading goal has been accomplished!!! A week early! How exciting to beat a goal! :D Now to set some new ones.


Daily Goals:

Clean Kitchen Daily (all dishes done, counters and table wiped)
Make the bed each morning
Pick up house each evening
Prep tomorrow's dinner (like put meat for defrost in fridge, etc.) each evening
Make tomorrow's to-do list each evening

Weekly Goals:

Clean House (sweep, vacuum, bathroom, you know the normal stuff)
Knit- finish project
Blog 2 times

Goals for 3/2/12:

Walk some each day
Stretch everyday
Laundry spaced out over 2 days

Now lets see if I can stick to these this week!!!

Babywise vs Baby Whisperer

I have read in the last couple weeks both On Becoming Babywise and The Secrects of the Baby Whisperer. Both have essentially the same theme: structured routine with your infant to help them transition into your life easier and sleep through the night faster. I did glean some good information from each, but they are written in two totally different styles. I honestly would never rad another book by the Babywise author/s. They really rubbed me the wrong way. But lets start with a basic "book report" if you will.

Babywise:

Written by two men. Normally, that doesn't bother me. Men can know about raising children just as well as women. But these men are super pompous!! I really did not enjoy the tone of writing. They completely blow attachment parenting out of the water, and they have very strong opinions on certain things that everyone should do with their child. I hate to remind them that every baby is different as are parents. Meaning there are multiple correct ways of parenting. But apparently theirs is the only way. At least that is the feeling I got from the book.

However, I did learn a lot about their form of structure. I agree with a lot of what they said, yet it took me several chapters to fully grasp what they were trying to tell me. Honestly, that bothered me too. I read the chapters on the actual routine and was still lost about what they were saying. But basically, baby needs to eat right after sleep and then stay awake for awhile. Never put baby to sleep with breast or bottle, because baby will become dependent on eating prior to sleeping and use it as a prop to fall asleep. Basically, teach your child to self-soothe to fall asleep. Put baby in crib before they are fully asleep so they don't depend on anything but themselves for sleep. Makes sense, I agree with the basic concept. But really your way isn't the only way... but again I agree with the basics and will be trying it with little Oswald.

Baby Whisperer:

British lady with massive experience with tons of different styles of households and parents and babies. Loved her writing (but I am partial to the Brits style of say it like it is, bluntly.), loved how she explained her concept, and will be using a lot of the information learned in the book. First, it's always nice to here that some things Americans think of as strange is normal for other parts of the world. Since we are planning on some "back to the basic" ways of parenting, it's very nice to know it's normal elsewhere at least. She takes the same concept and explains it well. E.A.S.Y. Eat, Activity, Sleep, You time. Same order as Babywise, just written in an easier tone, and explained completely. Both state that sleeping through the night is possible by 6-8 weeks. But Baby Whisperer takes into account that babies are different and some take longer. She also tells lots of tricks about how to fix small parental issues that can affect the EASY plan. Loved it. And will be using so much info from her. Heck I've been using it with Caly (our dog), you need to think through what you teaching with your reactions to the child/pet's actions. And be consistent. Specifically, be consistent from day one. We will be trying to do that as best as possible.

Jerry and I are constantly talking about how we would integrate baby into our everyday routines. We have refigured out many of our systems or routines to help make life easier to transition. Let's hope all this reading and talking really has helped us prepare! We are sooo ready now. At least emotionally. :)

Friday Kaizen update 2/17/12

This is the cheating method to get three posts... But I felt the Kaizen update deserved it's own post, and it does help my numbers- though I was hoping for more time in between posts. Next week we will work on that.

My daily goals for setting a routine definitely still need some work. Dinner was a constant battle, since I never got around to do a meal plan. Dishes were not done everyday, which make them harder the subsequent day. I didn't even make my bed every day. But the house is clean right now, and honestly it was manageable all week. I would have liked to have achieved better, but it is a start.

I have only knit twice so far this week, but I am planning on knitting either today yet or this evening. I have a project that needs completing soon. And as you can tell I "kinda" blogged three times, however I believe it's a cop out. Therefore even these I need to work on. Definitely not A+ work going on here this week. However, I am on my fourth book for the week. Yes, I had only read one book so far this year, and here I am on my fourth. In one week.

I did split my laundry into two days. It worked well. Especially, considering going up and down the stairs is getting much harder. Only doing it a few times helped my days go much smoother. And I think eventually incorporating laundry into my morning routine everyday will not be so hard. Still working on planning that in for the future. Yoga, well once again not a stellar effort. I did find three poses, all are fairly easy and work on flexibility and movement while pregnant. I only did them once. But I have also walked a lot this week.

So for my past week, I would say I need some improvement, but I am trying at least. This week we will try for some of the same goals while changing or adding a little more.


Daily Goals:

Clean Kitchen Daily (all dishes done, counters and table wiped)
Make the bed each morning
Pick up house each evening
Prep tomorrow's dinner (like put meat for defrost in fridge, etc.) each evening
Make tomorrow's to-do list each evening

Weekly Goals:

Clean House (sweep, vacuum, bathroom, you know the normal stuff)
Knit 3 times
Blog 3 times

Goals for 2/24/12:

Yoga poses 2x
Laundry spaced out over 2 days

February Goal:

Read 2 more books.

I think changing the yoga may help me to attain the goal easier. And I think I will switch from having a yearly book goal to a monthly goal. That way I can adapt when Oswald does arrive. I'm currently about a fourth of the way through a book, meaning I should be able to complete two more by the end of the month. Unless Oswald comes and changes that, but my next book after the one I am currently reading is a Nicholas Sparks. Those only take me a day or two... he's my favorite! Maybe my next post will be starting a weekly/bi weekly book review about what I've currently finished. It's a good thought at least!