November Goals Recap

 November whizzed right on by. I had the impromptu trip to Las Vegas & Zion, lots of job searching & a bonus few days with Sam for Thanksgiving. Here's how I did on my goals:

Financial:

• Achieve savings goal - yes, done! We actually were over a bit, which is always nice.
• Mini freezer clean out: 
• 1/2 of the pizza in the freezer - no progress
• Use up the cranberries - done! Made cranberry muffins
• Sell the white car - done!
• Sell fitness watch - no progress, as this is through M's work alias & I have no visibility. I'll remind him & see what's up. 

Family:

• Help Nick with final applications & essays - done, although by "final", that was out of the ones due in November/December. There are plenty more scholarship essays ahead.
• Sort out plans for winter break - done!
• Fianlize all travel plans for Sam - done!
• One fun activity with the boys - Sam, M & I went on a hike. Nick is injured from soccer.
• 2 dates with M - we played pickleball & went out for dinner on Friday night

Fitness:

• 15 strength workouts - 13/15
• Follow the No S diet 15 days & track calories daily - 5/15 days following the eating plan, and tracked about 75% of the time
• Schedule MRI - I scheduled this, but now don't need to have the MRI done, so it's cancelled.
• Lose 2 lbs - I gained around 1.5 lbs this month, which isn't the direction I'm trying to go!

Personal:

• Complete daily tasks 20 times (meditate, language, journal) - 15/20
• Get together with friends - lots of friend time: hikes, trip to Zion, walks, coffee meet ups
• Declutter 25 items - 15/25
• Network 2x - done!
• Continue exploring jobs - lots of job exploration & applications
• Spent time on volunteer role - yes
• Come up with more structure in my daily routine - not much happened here. 

So, that's how November went at our house. What about you? How did you do with your goals for the month? 

Fitness Recap

I'm finding it really helpful to recap my weeks here, so hopefully it's useful or at least entertaining to some of the readers as well. ;-) 

Workouts:

• Sunday - 60 minute workout class
• Monday - 60 minute workout class
• Tuesday - 60 minute workout class
• Wednesday - 4 mile hike (hip was twinging a little, so didn't want to run)
• Thursday - 4 mile Thanksgiving hike with Sam & M!)
• Friday - 60 minute workout class
• Saturday - 4 mile hike

Average daily steps: 12,960. I've been tracking my daily steps a bit more closely, to try & hit the 12k/day target, and it appears to be working. 

Average calories: 1560

Weight: honestly, I didn't weigh in this week, which is never a great sign! I try to remember to weigh in on Monday, to get an accountability check. 

How I feel about the past week: Well, I definitely enjoyed my week. My food calories were pretty okay, but we had martinis & wine during the week, which bumped my overall calories *way* up. I've also been MUCH snackier than usual. I'm tempted by what's in the pantry, and when I buy snacks for the teens (extra this week, as Sam was home), I'm tempted by them. It's hard to remember in the moment that I don't have the metabolism of a teen boy!

Goals for the week ahead: Continue my 12k/day average, cut back the calories to 1400/day, which is going to be hard with snacking. Therefore, LESS or no snacking! 

What about you? As we enter the holiday season, do you have any health or fitness goals?

Menu Plan Sunday

I didn't do much planning for the week, after Thanksgiving. I spent all of my effort on the Thanksgiving meal plan and my planning shut down after that. ;-) 

• Thursday - Thanksgiving (steak & traditional fixings)
• Friday - the boys were both off with friends, so M & I went to dinner & shared a salad & French dip
• Saturday - Thanksgiving leftovers
• Sunday - grilled burgers
• Monday - ravioli & chicken sausages
• Tuesday - leftover burgers
• Wednesday - something easy, because Nick has a soccer game, so likely grilled burgers 
• Thursday - leftover ravioli & chicken sausages
• Friday - pizza & salad

What about you? What's on your menu this week?

The last of the harvest

 I picked all of the remaining pomegranates yesterday, and M got started on deseeding them. We sent Sam home with an enormous tupperware of arils, so he can eat them throughout the week at college. Pomegranate seeds are one of my favorite snacks, so I'm also thrilled.

We dropped Sam off at the airport this morning, and I definitely would have been more emotional if his winter break wasn't coming up in two weeks. I'm so grateful he'll be back soon!

As for today, here's what's left on the list:

• Yard work. Raking leaves! All of the leaves!
• Walk with M
• Language lesson
• Budget roundup 
• Goals check in
• Setting goals for December
• Sorting out a menu for the week

What are you up to today?

Frugal Friday

It's that time of the year where I hit the fine balance of trying to save on things we buy that are on sale for the holidays, while not overstocking or wasting money on things we don't need! 

Saving on things we buy

• Redeemed a $5 grocery store reward before it expired. I also downloaded some digital coupons & uploaded the receipts to Fetch & iBotta, saving another $2. 
• Took advantage of some gift card offers at CVS for things we will use, such as Uber (getting Sam to/from the airport at college - Eugene has no shuttle from his school), Netflix, & a store where I'm getting a few Christmas gifts.  I uploaded my CVS receipt to iBotta, which will earn a little back on the non-gift card items. I also used CVS rewards for a couple of road trip/hotel snacks for our post holiday ski trip. And finally, remembered to pay with the credit card that had a $5 cash back offer for CVS. *bonus, just noticed that the gift card spend also counted towards the iBotta cash back offer, which is a huge & unexpected win!*
• Bought ingredients for pomegranate martinis + NYE champagne & used a loyalty coupon to save $15 off. Then thought to check iBotta & noticed they had $6 off of the vodka I purchased. Yay for unexpected discounts!

Earning money

• Cashed in change that's been lingering around the house & turned it into an Amazon gift card for $21. Something useful ahead of the holidays, although not exactly earning money & rather turning my own money into something more convenient.
• Sold a pair of shoes & a shirt on eBay, making ~$80 after fees & postage. 
• Not earning money yet, but continuing to apply to jobs & have met with a few recruiters this week. 
• Speaking of iBotta, I cashed out $30. I try to cash out whenever I'm over the $20 threshold, as you never know if they will limit cash back options, increase cash out rate or end it all together & move it only to gift card redemption. 
• Finished some training for a user study I participated in a few weeks back, and made $50.
• 
  

Avoiding spending

• Saw an adorable teal colored sweater that really caught me eye. Went so far as to put it in my cart & find a discount, and then I remembered that I'm not working & have tons of sweaters & very few occasions to wear them! 
• (Avoiding spending for others) Finished a puzzle & will send it back with Sam. My nephew is picking Sam up at the airport & taking him back to college. My sister can then get the puzzle from my nephew. She loves puzzling! I also enjoy it, but remembered that it hurts my back & either need a way better set up or to stop doing puzzles. It's a nice winter distraction, so I'll have to see if there are more ergonomic options. 
• I almost upgraded Sam's seat on his return flight tomorrow, but I had one extra United upgrade & it looked promising for it to clear. Avoided paying out of pocket, and his upgrade cleared so he's no longer sitting in the very last row! It's a short flight & he would have been fine either way, but I still get a little parental anxiety over him being in the last boarding group, and whether there will be room for his bag, etc. 

Eating what we have

• I finished off the last of a package of turkey, and made sandwiches for lunch over the past few days.
• I also wrapped up some broccoli cheddar soup that we had on hand.
• We've eaten lots of incredible pomegranate from the tree, as well as six strawberries that somehow grew, despite the lack of sun recently.
• We had plans for M to grill chicken on Sunday, but Nick ended up hosting a poker party, so we picked up Costco pizza instead, so we could help Nick with the party prep plans. M marinated the chicken & grilled it later in the week. Glad we remembered to shuffle things around, particularly as M wasn't excited to grill in the rain. ;-) Oh, and we use lots of garden herbs in the chicken marinade, which adds great flavor. 
• Took the leftover Costco chocolate chip cookies to Nick's school soccer parents meeting, where they were scarfed down by hungry players.
• Made a chicken & rice dish on Saturday that was "fine", but lacking in some flavor. It was actually better as a leftover, and I added some sriracha to bump up the flavor even more.
• M wrapped up the last of a package of cooked brisket he purchased at Costco while I was out of town, ensuring none went to waste. 
• Made Nick a quick dinner after a late soccer night, using up leftover pasta & adding meatballs from the freezer. And a banana, because they are at the perfect level of ripeness. 

For others

• I reviewed college essays for one of the students I'm mentoring, & gave feedback on that. 
• Picked up trash after Nick's soccer game. He's the captain & is responsible for ensuring their area of the field is clean (water bottles, cups, etc). I stayed & helped him out. They have a bunch of new players & must not know the drill of picking up their trash before they leave, but he will definitely remind them for next time! I also found two non-plastic water bottles, and sent those off with the coach, so they can be reunited at the next practice with their owners. 
• Gave a friend one of my United upgrades (I actually gave her & her daughters all of my remaining upgrades, but only one cleared) so that she could be upgraded on the flight from Europe.

What about you? Any wins to share?

Wednesday things

Today is the day Sam flies home from college! I'm so excited to see him & can't believe I haven't been able to hug him since September. Next year is going to be hard for me.

I went to Nick's first high school game of the season, where they tied. It was *very* chilly! I was all bundled up & drinking tea, and I was still cold. Next time I'll bring my hand warmers. He was very good with the team, giving pep talks, providing guidance to people who needed it, and keeping the team motivated. He also did an interview for the school paper at the end (he's the captain of the team), which was so cute. It did mean staying even longer than planned, however! I was a popsicle by the end. We came home & I made him a very quick dinner while he showered, and then he met up with friends, as he has no school today.

It is an absolutely gorgeous fall day today. Instead of a workout class (if I do more than 3 in a row, my tendonitis acts up from the running), I'm going to go for a hike this morning & enjoy the fall leaves & hopefully see some deer!

Here's what else is on the list:

• Pick up the house
• Laundry. Nick was injured during a play last night & his uniform has both lots of dirt & blood on it. Need to soak that.
• Go for a hike
• Pick up a few items we need at BevMo, for our famous pomegranate martinis tomorrow
• Work on a few job related tasks
• List a pair of motorcycle pants on FB 
• Pick up Sam at the airport!

What about you? What are you up to today? 

Grocery store shopping

 I track all of our expenses, but I also like to jot down prices of items we're purchasing, to compare over time. I also find it really interesting to 1) see what other people buy and 2) how much they pay for each item.

So, here's our shopping receipt for the week. We bought this at Costco, and picked up more than usual, as Sam will be home for a few days over Thanksgiving:

• Fairlife chocolate shakes. These are really expensive, and Nick drinks them for a quick meal between practice & school. - $33.99
• Milk - $6.99
• Honey dew melon - $3.99
• Goat cheese (pkg of two) - $7.99. This is for Thanksgiving
• 4 lbs of Fuji apples - $6.99
• 2 lbs of broccoli - $5.99
• Mini peppers - $5.99
• Pears - $8.99
• Plums - $4.99
• Cauliflower - $6.99
• Chicken patties - $15.99. Nick makes these himself for a meal, if he gets home after we're in bed.
• Costco brand chicken chunks - $15.99
• Spinach - $4.59
• Tomatoes - $8.99
• Romano cheese - $19.41
• Romaine lettuce - $4.99
• Cucumber (3 pk) - $6.99
• Bananas - $2.49
• 3 lbs of limes - $6.49
• Pomegranate juice - $9.59. For pomegranate martinis over the holidays.
• Kerrygold butter - $11.99
• Organic olive oil - $24.99

Total spent = $225.39. Overall, an expensive trip with some pricey stock up options, as well as buying more than usual for Sam's visit + Thanksgiving. (We will go to Costco again before Thanksgiving & get the things that can't be purchased this far in advance.)

What about you? Do you track prices over time? 

Fitness Recap - the last couple of weeks

 I normally track my fitness pretty closely, but the last few weeks I've been off of my game. I was traveling & then came back & haven't been as disciplined for whatever reason. Ah well, such is life. One of the goals of tracking is that it helps me remember to get back on track. Lack of consistency happens, but the sooner I can get back on track, the closer I will get to my goals. So, transparency it is! 

Workouts:

• Sunday - 11/10 - 60 minute workout class
• Monday - 11/11 - 60 minute workout class 
• Tuesday - 11/12 - 50 minutes on the elliptical
• Wednesday - 11/13 - 4 mile hike with a friend
• Thursday - 11/14 - quick 20 minutes on the elliptical before my flight
• Friday - 11/15 - travel day with friend, but we did get in a quick 30 minute walk once we arrived at her place
• Saturday - 11/16 - about 5 hours of hiking
• Sunday - 11/17 - about 5-6 hours of very difficult hiking
• Monday - 11/18 - travel day, no workout
• Tuesday - 11/19 - 2 hour hike with a friend
• Wednesday - 11/20 - 60 minute workout class
• Thursday - 11/21 - 30 minutes on the elliptical before a mammogram (oh joy!)
• Friday - 11/22 - 60 minute workout class
• Saturday - 11/23 - 75 minutes of yoga + 1 hour light walk with friend
• Sunday - 11/24 - 60 minute workout class

Average daily steps = 12,521, which is pretty nuts given two of those days were really long hiking days. The rest of the days were quite low, thanks to not nearly as much walking due to the weather. I'll have to keep an eye on my overall steps with the rainy season. 

Average calories = 1800. This is a guess, as I wasn't super consistent with my tracking.

Weight = up 1.2 lbs

How I feel about the past 2 weeks: I'm not surprised to see the numbers, but it's clear that's not going to get me to where I need to be. I didn't have much of an appetite on the big hiking days, but consumed plenty of calories on other days, including those with minimal workouts. I need to figure out how to maintain my healthy habits, even when my routine changes. 

Goals for this week:

• Track calories daily
• Avoid sugar (a dessert on Thanksgiving is fine, if I want something)
• Keep my average steps at 12,000

What about you? How are you doing with your health & fitness? Do you have any plans to stay on track over the holidays?

Menu Plan Sunday

I'm going to try a different timing with my menu plan, and post it on Sundays (despite the lack of symmetry with "Monday" and "Menu" ;-), and have Monday be a fitness recap. I'll give it a whirl & see how it goes.

• Friday: orange chicken & fried rice
• Saturday: spaghetti & meatballs + garlic bread
• Sunday: one pot chicken & rice
• Monday: leftover spaghetti & meatballs
• Tuesday: tacos
• Wednesday: leftover chicken & rice
• Thursday: Thanksgiving! We have steak, scalloped potatoes, sauteed green beans with parmesan & toasted almonds & ice cream & pie. Oh, and the adults often have pomegranate martinis as part of happy hour, where the teens eat goat cheese crostini with pomegranate seeds on top. 
• Friday: chicken shawarma

What about you? What's on your menu for the week? Any fun new recipes to recommend? 

Saturday Happenings

I spent the majority of the morning working through job applications (always a treat) & getting chores done on the computer. I also finished my shopping for M (we just do a few small items) & rounded out my list of what I still need to buy. That felt nice to mark off of my to do list.

As for the rest of the day, I have a few fun things on the agenda (yoga, old coworker meet up) & then regular chores:

• Make one pot chicken & rice dish for dinner
• Call Sam (getting him to answer will be the real adventure)
• Help Nick with some college application tasks
• Review essays from student I'm mentoring
• Daily chores (language lesson, journal & meditation)
• Pay physics tutor
• Go for a walk with former coworker
• Vacuum
• Sort out flights for girls trip to Sedona in the spring

What about you? What are you up to today? A mix of chores & fun, I hope!

And, for visual interest, photo of the start of one of our hikes last weekend. Zion in the fall was incredible!

Frugal Friday

 Saving on things we buy

• Sam asked if he could join ski club in college, and wanted a season's pass for Christmas. I was able to get the college discount ($60 off) pretty easily. I also review my credit card offers regularly, and found a 20% cash back reward for the pass, which will save another $211! That is a huge savings. I've never seen the season pass credit card offer, and typically skip over the "entertainment" category of rewards, but this reminds me to explore all options. 
• I chased down our orthodontia claim with our dental insurance, and finally got a hold of someone who could help. We received a reimbursement check of $2300. 
• Noticed that the local airport was running a holiday parking sale (if you pre-book), so I was able to book advanced parking for our trip to Portland over Christmas. I saved $12 by booking early. 
• I was very close to clicking "buy" on Southwest flights for my parents to visit in April (when we are going to Spain - they will be looking after Nick - the last trip where we will need to fly anyone in for "child" care purposes!), but decided to check Alaska. Alaska hasn't been competitive vs Southwest in at least 18 months, but today they were $400 cheaper! I also assumed I'd used the wallet credit I had in my spreadsheet, but nope, I also had a $300 travel credit, which saved almost half of the cost of the flights. My parents prefer Alaska vs Southwest, so they will be thrilled. 

Earning money

• I found $81 in my Paypal account (a combination of Rakuten cash back + a survey payment), and transferred that over to my bank account. 
• I had a small gambling budget for my night in Las Vegas, and won money, which is always a really fun treat! 

Avoiding spending

• Saved around $1800 on spring club soccer fees, as Nick is playing school tennis instead. Last year he needed to do both to keep his soccer skills high enough to make the high school team, but this year is his last year of club soccer & we've just completed the fall season! We've had 2 kids in club soccer for 11 years, and then one bonus year with just Nick. It's been a lot of soccer!!!
• Chatted with the family about ways to reduce holiday spending, now that 5 of 6 "kids" are adults. We are moving into an exchange vs gifts for all, which will cut off two folks from everyone's shopping list. 

Eating what we have

• Defrosted the remaining beef & broccoli for an easy dinner this week. I tend to not use much broccoli in the first prep of the dish, knowing we will have leftovers. I then warm the beef, and add fresh broccoli & allow that to just barely steam, and then serve. It keeps the broccoli fresh, and makes the leftovers very tasty. 
• Made (an extra hungry) Nick popcorn as a pre-dinner snack. All of that school soccer is increasing his appetite.
• Made Nick various lunches from items around the house, when he was home between high school & college class. I used up the last of our bread & cheese to make him a few grilled cheese sandwiches this week.
• We had the leftover white bean & chicken sausage skillet leftovers for a dinner, and then I had the rest for lunch, along with a piece of toast and a banana. 

For others

• Hiking friend from last weekend & I previously worked for the same company. She received a very senior promotion offer from them, so I helped her negotiate the offer & come up with a list of questions, prep for the offer call. As I'd previously worked at the company as well, she appreciated having someone she could discuss it with who knew the compensation. 
• Had a call with one of the students I'm mentoring, and reviewed her college essays. 

What about you? Any wins to share? 

Mid week menu plan

 It's definitely been a fly by the seat of my pants menu plan this week. But, checking the freezer & going through what's available in the fridge always helps.

My friend & I did takeout on Friday night, and then a dinner out on Saturday & Sunday, so no meal planning was involved.

On Monday, I came back & had no plans, so Nick picked up takeout Greek food for the two of us, while M ate leftovers (his preference). 

I got it together yesterday, and defrosted the beef & broccoli dish, cutting up fresh broccoli to steam at the end of the warming of the beef, which made the recipe much fresher tasting. No one likes mushy broccoli.

• Wednesday - as for today, I've defrosted the white beans & sausage dish that we both really liked from last week.
• Thursday - there is taco meat in the freezer, so I'll be pulling that out & Nick will have tacos, and we will have taco salads
• Friday - I also discovered orange chicken in the freezer, so that will be the plan

I will plan a proper meal plan for next week, including Thanksgiving! What's on your Thanksgiving menu?

Zion, St. George and Las Vegas

 As I mentioned in a previous post, a friend and I met up for a very impromptu trip. We hadn't seen each other in 10 years, and it was so fabulous to catch up! It felt like no time had passed & it was so wonderful to spend time together.

We also had an absolute blast, and so many laughs that I spent chunks of the trip crying with laughter. I've missed her so much. 

We met up in Las Vegas, spent a night there, and then headed to St. George, where she has a vacation condo. We hiked one day at Snow Canyon, and another day at Zion. Zion in the fall was breathtaking. (Photos below). We also got lottery permits for Angels Landing, so we did part of that hike. I stopped where the chains drop off & there's a sheer vertical on both sides. I'm not afraid of heights, but that was a definite no for me. There are no photos anywhere near Angels Landing, because I had both of my hands very tightly wrapped around the chains! :-) 

Here's how much the trip cost:

• Flights to/from Las Vegas  = $100 seat selection fees + $485 on a gift card (pricey, as they were very last minute)
• Rental car - my friend covered this
• Hotel in Las Vegas - I used comps to cover the hotel & parking fees
• Two lunches & one dinner in Las Vegas for both of us - largely covered by comps, minus tips & drinks for the road trip to St. George = $124.76
• Two dinners in Utah =  $97.85 (I treated for one, and paid for myself for the other)
• I bought groceries & supplies for breakfast/lunches while hiking = $104.84
• Airport snacks = $12.39
• Lyfts to/from the airport (M ended up not being able to drive me) + while in Las Vegas = $151.40 (could have saved a bit by parking at the airport, but trip was very last minute!)
• Angels Landing permits - $12
• Park entrance fees = covered by my friend's park passes 
• Souvenirs at Zion (for me + Nick)  = $103.97
• Lodging in St. George = stayed at my friend's vacation condo

Total spent for 5 day trip = $1192. It worked out so well, as my friend had the condo & already had a rental car, and I was able to use the comps in Las Vegas. Overall, it was an incredible trip and one we will definitely be repeating!

Are you afraid of heights? Here's a quick overview of Angels Landing, if you're not a hiker.