Weight Loss Tips From a Pup

I took Ebony in for her yearly check-up & am pleased to announce she is at her correct weight. She dropped from a hefty 45 pounds down to 34 pounds from 2015 to 2016. New Year's Resolution goal met! 

Wondering how you can accomplish your weight loss goals too? 

Just follow these simple steps:

1. Eat 1/10 the amount of food you'd prefer to eat. 

2. Eat the same exact thing everyday. 

3. Better yet, have someone else feed you the same exact thing everyday.

4. Stay out of the kitchen at meal times.

5. Treat chocolate like it's poison.

6. Get your exercise outside. Even when it's raining. Even if you hate the rain. 

7. Place a tennis ball in your bowl of food so you have to eat more slowly.  

8. When all you can think about is food & how hungry you are, lie on the couch instead. 

You'll be shedding those pounds in no time,

SJW

In Sickness | Marriage

Thinking about the "in sickness & in health" part of our vows as I pop another Sudafed & turn on my heating pad. Being sick isn't necessarily the worst, but it certainly isn't fun. Unintentional or not, Mr. Fleece & I do provide a decent amount of entertainment to one another when we're under-the-weather. Saying non-coherent things, dazing off like zombies, piddling our puny bodies around the house, over exaggerating our mope factor.

It certainly makes me appreciate the days where we have energy & aren't taking turns sleeping on the couch to avoid each other's germs. Although, it's really just me sleeping on the couch, & the germs still managed a way to wiggle down into my immune system. I guess that's what living in 600 square feet guarantees.

I've also realized (& accepted) that we cope with illness in different ways. Mr. Fleece wants to be alone & sleep it off, choosing to blow his nose on terrible scratchy toilet paper. I want to somehow gumption up my energy & clean the house, take Ebony for a walk, & manage a full day of work. I wisely blow my nose on Puff's ultra soft tissues. On a couple things, however, we do agree: drinking fluids & downing bowl-fulls of applesauce.

Learning to be patient & kind through the fatigue & fighting off the "your illness is really ruining my social life" mentality : )

SJW

Chutes & Ladders

Somehow I managed to fit another piece of furniture into our meager 600 square feet apartment! I'd been eyeing ladder bookshelves in other homes & simply couldn't say no to the $35.00 new-in-box find off craigslist. The bookshelf fits nicely between our kitchen and linen closet & just barely fits over the thermostat & light switch. 

We call that luck : ) 

 

A bookshelf says a lot more about someone than just what they like to read. For example, our shelf says dog. married. aqua. planner. owls.  It also screams don't forget your keys, wallet, or phone when you leave the house again...

 

Here are some other fun shelf examples from across the web:

Blending the functional with cute,

SJW

Life Wright Now | December/January

Watching

Instagram Husband
I've watched this multiple times & I still think it's funny.

Also, the movie Brooklyn. I'm a big fan of Saoirse Ronan's character, Eilis. The love story is very sweet! Also her accent.

Eating

Mashawi

The lamb platter is so yummy. Don't let the prices deter you, one dish will feed me for three meals! Only a few blocks away, this is becoming a new take-out favorite.

Reading

Travels with Charley in search of America
John Steinbeck, with his dog, traveling across America, discovering it anew so that he can better portray it in his writing.

“I think today if we forbade our illiterate children to touch the wonderful things of our literature, perhaps they might steal them and find secret joy.” 

Listening

A friend recommended the podcast Awesome Etiquette. I'm going to try it out. Maybe I'll learn whether or not my eavesdropping or re-gifting is appropriate or not.

New year, same blog.

-SJW

Resolutions | 2016

In 2016 I want to...

LIVE SIMPLY | WORK WELL | BE GENEROUS | READ

Live Simply:
reduce clutter. don't over-plan. relax. have downtime. go on walks.

Work well:
at my (still newish) job. on our house. toward our marriage. don't be lazy. give my best. stay focused.

Be Generous:
toward strangers. with family. among friends. to coworkers. don't be so self-focused & self-consuming.

Read: 
my bible. about important topics (gun control, heath care, presidential candidates, immigration, global warming). the skimm. for enjoyment.

Making small changes,

SJW

Turning Pages

I read 25 books in 2015! As Mr. Fleece said, that's a book every paycheck : ) This year I developed a deeper appreciation for nonfiction, & particularly fell for the non-fiction novel. I also acquired the gumption to STOP reading any book that wasn't holding my attention without feeling guilty (& regardless of whether or not it was highly regarded by others). So, here's my top five do, don't, & want-to reads.

WOULD GLADLY HOST A BOOK CLUB

1. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson 

(An incredible true story!)

2. Contagious by Jonah Berger

(Must read for anyone that works with products.)

3. Delancey by Molly Wizenberg

(How to open a pizza restaurant.)

4. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

(Haunting & chilling! The style of writing was so superb I went on to watch both movies, "Capote" & "Infamous")

5. The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan

(Excellent writing. Beautiful sentences!)

NOT FOR ME

1. Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo

2. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

3. Unabrow by Una LaMarche

4. The Intern's Handbook by Shane Kuhn

5. One More Thing by B.J. Novak

IN MY QUEUE

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Looking for a bookmark,

SJW