Three Things March 2022

Three things I like about spring

1. No more heavy jackets

2. Flowers

3. No heat on in the house

Three things I dislike about spring

1. Cleaning up the flower bed and other assorted yardwork

2. Allergies

3. Bugs return

Three things I drink most often besides water and iced coffee

1. Barry's tea combined with Stash peppermint tea

2. Bubly - usually lime, strawberry, or blackberry

3. Iced tea

Three in the house projects I want to get done in April

1. Remove/store shore winter items and (related) sort all shore supplies sitting in the middle bedroom there

2. Move couch to MFD's office in Philly

3. Go through two bins in my room in Philly

Three things I eat for lunch or dinner when I don't feel like cooking

1. Cheese, crackers, banana peppers, olives, odds and ends - we call this a fun plate in my house

2. Cereal

3. Salad

Three things I've been putting off

1. Going to the post office

2. Sorting papers

3. Taxes

Three things I've been killing it at

1. Daily vitamins

2. Night face routine

3. Walking more

Three things I'm over

1. Reels on the main Instagram feed

2. Forgetting things when I go to the store/get things delivered

3. Wiping kitchen counters

Three things I'm looking forward to

1.Warmer days

2. Acupuncture tomorrow

3. Porch sitting

You? 

 

TWTW - birthday weekend #2

Friday if you have to refer to your photos to see what you did that day…lol at lunch I went to the library spring book sale and grocery store. Guess which one was more fun? After work I did a beach walk, finished a book, and read another one until 1 am.

Saturday started with nails - tried Essie’s  new quick dry polish and didn’t love the application but I liked the polish grew on me as it wore. This is Essie Expressie Trick Clicque with a OPI Mylar Dreams pinky nail. After this scintillating nail appointment was finished, we went to a tour at the Harriet Tubman Museum in Cape May. It was an hour and it was good. If you are not someone who can pay attention in a group for an hour, this is not for you. The tours are guided at this time and by guided in basically one large room they mean we are going to tell you about Harriet's operations in Cape May. The guy giving the tour was very good. 

We were going to walk around the Washington Street Mall area after that, but there were a lot of people and no parking and I got annoyed very quickly so we headed out and had lunch at the Lobster House on the way out of town. 

Popped in to TJMaxx and Restore in CMCH on the way home, and lolled around on the couch for a while. We had dinner at Kessel’s because Instagram showed me ice cream over funnel cake fries, new this year so we had to try it. I started a new book and we watched a lot of episodes of Hacks. 

Sunday was a slow moving morning. I woke up with numbness in my arm from sleeping on something wrong and it is not going away so I'm calling on chiro and acupuncture this week. I did some sorting of shit up in the house, began the process of removing stuff prior to rental season, cleaned the kitchen, and MFD installed the no drill hand towel and toilet paper holder in the small bathroom. We went for a family beach walk and watched the remaining three episodes of Hacks. Scrounged for dinner and packed a bunch of stuff up, then watched three episodes of Yellowjackets. Hooo boy.

Heading back to Philly for some appointments this week. 

Hope you had a good weekend!

Poking that trip planning muscle memory

Happy Friday! Happy almost spring! 

So great to see people out there planning trips, holidays, family visits, short breaks, etc., after the completely disrupted travel over the past couple of years, with the coronavirus and Covid-19 pandemic sweeping across the world. Many countries either closed their borders or heavily limited passage across their borders, and states within the United States enacted quarantine periods upon arrival or return. With vaccines being rolled out around the world and immunity or resistance against Covid-19 on the rise, travel is back on the table for a lot of people. If you are like me, you both can't wait to get away and also feel rusty in your travel planning and execution skills. Things that felt so natural now feel foreign. We'll start at the top, yes? 

Decisions, decisions

Choosing a travel destination used to be as simple as deciding where you want to go in the world and checking if it was in budget. At this current point in the world, you need to consider a fair amount more aside from where to go. Do you want to fly with airlines still not back to regular service? Is there a war nearby? What is the Covid vaccination rate on the ground? If traveling internationally, you also need to  look into that country’s travel rules and entry requirements. Some places are allowing travel as usual, while many others require certain steps to be taken by visitors like full vaccinations against Covid,  PCR tests to ensure you are testing negative for Covid before your flight, etc.. Make sure that you meet each country’s entry requirements or are willing to be vaccinated and/or tested before settling on that location.

Can't escape vaccines even on vacation

For certain countries, you are advised to get certain travel vaccinations before entering the country. This can protect you from illnesses that are present in that country but not your own, reducing your chances of getting ill. Common examples include cholera, diphtheria, or hepatitis A and B vaccinations. Make sure you get these well in advance of your trip.

Itinerary Queen

I have always been an itinerary queen. I love creating them and I find they help me see and do everything I want to and make the most of  my time away, if that's the kind of trip I'm taking. This doesn’t have to be regimented and militant but if you have traveled with me, you know some days it can be and is LOL. Mine usually have where I'm staying, driving/travel times, tourist attractions, excursions, and definitely restaurants like a good BBQ Restaurant in the area if you're in that kind of place or seafood restaurant if you're in that kind of place. You get the picture. 

Book in advance

Some attractions can see long queues or may be sold out on certain days. I book as much in advance as I can so I know it's done and I'm getting in, and it's nice that they’re already paid for before you even leave.

Right now, I need to do less thinking and talking about trips and more planning of the one we're going to do this summer with my Dad & Carol up through New England. I'm still not into possible airport fuckery so driving feels right right now.

Do you  have any trips planned/in the planning process? 

Nutrition for the whole family

Heyooh. Checking in from over here, where we have been riding the Sugar Dragon around the world. We've been talking a lot about what we eat, because let's face it is is easier to eat healthier when everyone in the household is on the same page.  

Protein is king

I personally cannot function well without starting my day with the correct amount of protein. You can get protein from lean meats, poultry, fish, tofu, legumes, eggs, and dairy products. I do best when I incorporate protein into every meal by having eggs, egg salad, or chicken salad for breakfast, adding chicken or tuna or hard boiled eggs to my salad at lunch, and having chicken thighs or fish or rice and beans for dinner.

What in the hell should we eat? 

One of the best ways to ensure I eat well is to plan and prep. If that's done, ordering out or resorting to like buttery noodles is not the game plan. I like to have stuff cooked and ready to go in the freezer, and veggies to cut up for snacks. 

Fruits And Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants essential for good health. I cannot even describe the difference in how I feel when I eat the appropriate amount of  vegetables for the day, something I've been focusing on since the beginning of February. I am looking for at least half of my plate to be filled with vegetables at every meal. They are so easy to incorporate into virtually anything - add diced tomatoes, grated carrots, grated zucchini, or sautéed mushrooms to spaghetti (the veggie meat sauce I make most frequently for one time use and large batches to freeze is based off this one from Budget Bytes) or mac and cheese. Soups and stews are amazing to add to also of course, like this delicious Italian barley soup recipe, to ensure the whole family gets their daily recommended intake. I always have frozen fruit on hand for a snack too. 

Stop Riding the Sugar Dragon

I am never looking to cut anything out, including sugar. I know how and who I am and it's not something that will be done. I am a person who can limit sugar treats and have been in the past, but not lately. Even just slowing down the Sugar Dragon ride is easier said than done. When it comes to sweets, moderation is key and moderation is exactly the opposite of what we've been doing here. Enjoy sugary treats in small amounts is the goal. 

Replace Alcohol And Fizzy Or Sugary Drink With Water

MFD doesn't drink period and I don't drink much, so this is more about his sugary drinks. Water is king for hydration of course. One of my best habits is taking down 100 ounces of water a day. When it starts to bore me, I add some slices of lemon or lime or orange. MFD says he's laying off the coke cans. We'll see! 

Easy swaps

Popcorn over chips, froyo over ice cream, eating at home to control what is in food. Small swaps go a long way.

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring or difficult. Even though disembarkation from the Sugar Dragon cruise can be. Our lady of victory, pray for us.

Thursday Thoughts - good night and joy be with you all

1. Happy St. Paddy's Day. You are a fucking delight and the pot of gold is inside yourself. Roasted corned beef on deck for today. 

2. I miss celebrating my birthday with my Grandmom - mine was Tuesday and hers today - we would alternate picking restaurants to go to and she always had corned beef for St. Paddy's Day. Hers was the best. 

3. I did much of nothing on my birthday, which was the plan. I had spent the weekend in reflective mode, which is typical for birthday time. MFD waited on me hand and foot, I read a whole book, unboxed my new homemade quilt made by Lori, had my favorite pepperoni & provolone bagel for breakfast, went on a long walk, spent a lot of time outside, was at the beach twice, took an afternoon nap, had a nice dinner out, and caught the tail end of a nice sunset. And of course I took the day off of work. Things of course went not according to plan also because this is real life - our street was dug up right outside my window at 7 am so no sleeping in, the restaurant I wanted to go to was not open Tuesday - but it was a good day and I am still here to age when so many people are not. This is 45 and it is damn good to be here. I wrote a bunch of phone notes that never transferred to a blog post but this is my instagram birthday caption where I try to collect my thoughts from the day. 

4. The electric work I had done in the main shore house was $300 over estimate because previous owners had cut corners. Use junction boxes, kids! I have three remaining that have not been replaced and now I'm moving that to the top of the list. Here are some of the new ones. I really love the hallway ones. Not pictured is a soft pink one for the small bath. I have a cheapie in the powder room, and need to repair the ceiling around it and put my preferred lightbulbs in all of them. All the interior door hinges and knobs are being switched out to black in May. The lights were those hideous boob lights and I'm glad they're gone. Just three more to go.

5. I am convinced that 99% of people who design sun hats have never sat on the beach all day in the slightest wind and absolutely never put their creation on with a pair of large sunglasses. Despite this belief, I continue to search high and low for one that I can lean my head back in, that won't fall off if you whisper at it, can be worn with large sunglasses, provides facial coverage from the sun but doesn't have an enormously ridiculous brim so I can't see a fucking thing, and doesn't give me a headache after 30 minutes. The first test of the season is on its way to me. 

6. We tried Crumbl cookies last week. They were fine? We got all six flavors for the week and I only loved one. The chocolate chip is straight trash, I stand by this statement. I need to get off the Sugar Dragon's back things are bad right now. My mom just loaded us up with Easter candy too. We are eating it all like fat asses then going straight to vegetables and fruit. Contact me for all of your nutrition needs. 

7. A good week on the beach, all days. 

8. The world is heavy to live in. Help people however you can, and accept help yourself when it is offered. 

9. Reminder via thepaperfern: I saw this just when I needed to, which happens a lot. This quote from Glennon Doyle is important - we focus so much on happiness that when I feel other sorts of ways, I am annoyed at myself. Like pissed off when my feelings are hurt which is...no. All of these things are a part of being human - we don't exist only in situations that feel good. Disappointment is the hardest thing to swallow, isn't it? 

10. Ecards - 

What appears beyond the hyphen in Thursday Thoughts titles is what I'm listening to when I'm starting this - this week is The Parting Glass, this version is The Dubliners