it's january again

 Happy New Year! Wow. 2022. I'm not going to go on about how fast the years are going and how hard the last two have been. There has been a lot of good in all the mess too. I'm just going to make this post like any other post I think. So I'll share what's going on with us these days like I always do. 

I'm on a health kick. Obviously, covid and all its variants aren't going anywhere. The best way to fight it is to stay healthy. Also, the end of the year brought higher blood pressure for me for the first time in my life. So I decided to address the 3 areas that directly affect blood pressure. Diet, exercise, and stress. I can't really do much about stress. But I am making a point to get to the yoga class at the gym 3 times a week. I know that helps in several areas. I'm also walking 5 or 6 times a week. And as for my diet, these days I'm cutting out as much processed foods, sodium, meat and dairy as possible and trying to eat mostly plant-based foods. It's been two weeks since I started these changes and I've seen a huge difference in the way I feel. I have more energy and my blood pressure is back to normal. And my puffy tummy is gone. I thought that just came with age but turns out, not so much. I'm actually adding another blog to 2022 because I'm learning so much about healthy foods and would love to share some recipes and info. My mom has a bunch of good recipes too. More on that later.

The kids are still physically going to school, knock on wood, so that's good. Things are status quo for now. 

Funny story. I was at Sprouts the other day because of the health kick. Side note. I don't go to Sprouts very often so I'm not really familiar with the inner workings of the place. As I was looking through the spices, I noticed a guy a few feet away emptying some of the spices out from a spice container into a little baggy. I did a double-take because I wasn't sure if I was really seeing what I was seeing. He was stealing spices from Sprouts. Who does that? I know times are tough but spices? I'm pretty non-confrontational so I didn't say anything. I just raised my eyebrows and gave him a look. My look said, I see you stealing that cumin. He gave me a look back that said, I see you looking at me. And then he put the container back on the shelf and walked away with his shoplifted spices. I shook my head and couldn't believe I witnessed such a blatant crime. He didn't even try to hide what he was doing, like it was no big deal. WELL. That's because he wasn't actually stealing. Upon further inspection, Sprouts has a separate little section in their spices where you can grab a little baggy and empty out a little bit of what you need from larger spice containers. So smart! I often buy a spice and use it once and it just sits in the cupboard until it expires. I'm just going to chalk that up as a learning experience. I was glad I didn't see that guy again in the store. 

Dan worked Christmas. He had to leave at 7am so we woke the kids up at 5am to open presents. We had a lovely dinner on Christmas Eve that Dan made of course. Here he is planning it with Angus.

I'm proud of myself for setting a low standard for gift wrapping and gift tags or the lack thereof. Christmas has enough pressure. Why add fancy bows? Maybe when my kids get bigger, I'll teach them the value of a nicely wrapped gift. For now, this is how it's gonna be.

Christmas went well. I think the kids got everything they wanted. Well, not everything because that's impossible. Angus kindly reminded me that I forgot to get him a toy he asked for a few months ago. I told him that it would be impossible to get all the toys he asked for since he literally asks me for a new thing multiple times a day. And we just can't afford 10,000 presents and there probably wouldn't be enough room under the tree. He was fine with that. Mya acknowledged that even if she got everything she wanted it would never be enough because there are always more things to want. But she was very happy with her gifts. I love her 12-year-old perspective.

Yes, a calendar and dry erase markers were on her Christmas wish list. It's Mya.

Otter got a new bed for Christmas. Yep, she's still in the cone of shame. That's what happens when you're a disobedient doggy and you chew off your bandage every time we take pity and remove the cone. She looks guilty, doesn't she.

Christmas day, we went to see Encanto. The kids said it was the best movie ever. They always say that. I thought it was cute. We now listen to the soundtrack all day every day.

PJ's from Auntie Wendy...

December in SoCal is always lovely. I've been enjoying my daily walks.

These two 💗

I had to get a pic of Mya looking so cute and grown up. And there's 

Otter in her cone of shame.

Took a rare pic of them sitting at breakfast, not fighting and having a lovely conversation.

Angus: Okay, time to be a hero, Addie.

If you're a mom and you feel underappreciated, you go ahead and feel that way. It's a totally valid thought. A peek into the mom life: 

Winter: Did you get more parmesan at the store today? (They won't eat noodles without it)

Me: No, it wasn't on the list. I'll get it next time. 

Angus: Did you go to Vons? 

Me: Yes.

Addie: Did they have Parmesan there?

Me: Yeah... but I didn't get it.

Angus: Wait, you didn't see it or something? 

Me: IT WASN'T ON THE LIST!!

Just a few days ago, I went to Costco, Vons, and then spent the afternoon doing laundry in my bedroom. Costco is a lot. I filled the cart. Vons is also a lot. I pretty much filled the cart there too. Then there's unloading and putting it all away. And laundry for 6 people is an event. (My hubby and kids help out with groceries and laundry to their credit. Even the littles put their clean clothes away) Around 5pm, I plopped down on the couch and opened my computer. Addie walked up and asked me to play a game with her. I told her, Not right now sweetie. I'm tired. I just want to relax. And you know what her reply was? 

Why are you tired mom? All you do is sit on the couch all day. 

And there you have it. 

My recommendations this time are the vitamins Zinc and NAC and "Box breathing." Zinc is toxic to Covid according to my mom. She's researched this stuff big time. And NAC is also really good for fighting Covid symptoms. You find NAC at Walmart or Walmart.com and zinc is everywhere. 

Box breathing has been known to calm you down and destress quickly. Basically, you breathe in for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds, breath out for 4 seconds, hold your breath again for 4 seconds, rinse and repeat. It has the same effects as taking anxiety medication. Give it a whirl the next time you feel anxiety gripping you.

Happy New Year to you all! Here we go again right?