cornelia

Week 1 update: Not a total fail, I did 2/3 workouts, and cut out my skirt pattern. My husband was away for work, kiddo got sick, and I am beat!!! (My daughter is a night owl and won't go to sleep until 11pm, but my son gets up most days at 5am!! DH and I usually switch off who gets up early but he's been away... gah!) Tonight though, he's back, so I really hope to get a night's sleep :-) And I'm back to around 92.5lbs, which is where I usually hover. I've been researching a bit about ectomorph body shapes, and what foods to focus on to gain. Good carbs and protein mostly. I'm excited to start over this coming week, and work on my food plan. As Anne Shirley would would say "Tomorrow is fresh, with no mistakes in it yet!"

So excited to be starting the second challenge of 2018! I crushed 2/4 of my goals for the last challenge, and am raring to up my game this time. From the last challenge I learned that one main goal works best, and then a couple little goals to round it out. Main goal: Eat more food!! Aiming for 1700-2000 calories/day. Goal is to weigh a steady 95 lbs at the end of this challenge. Gulp! Starting weight: 93.5lbs. I need to pre-plan my food and make sure I eat throughout the day. 6/7 small meals or snacks. I think a good idea would be to plan out my meals/snacks and prep them in the morning after I do the kids lunches, since I'm in the kitchen anyway :-) As a SAHM, I'm in and out all day- so, I'm going to put alarms on my phone to remind me to eat. 2ND Goal: Continue BBWW, but up it to 2 circuits. Also add in one more posture exercise. 3RD Goal: Oil pull with coconut oil every morning for dental health. 4th Goal: Sew an Edwardian walking skirt. This year I have no excuses to not sew fun things to wear. The only person stopping me, is me. So- every challenge from now on will have a sewing aspect. I was soooo pleased with my 1795 dress from the last challenge, I had the epiphany that I can actually do this and not suck! Lol! Reward: If I complete this challenge satisfactorily, I will reward myself with a brand new Harry Potter workout tank. I really want one that says ' My Hogwarts obsession is Ridikulus!' Good luck everyone!!

Thank you so much!! Hubby is such a good sport, lol. Excited for the next challenge :-) See you there!

Just wanted to wrap up this challenge. Big win was doing the BBWW 3x/week. I think, in total, I only missed 3 workouts, which is awesome! I still am only doing 1 circuit, but I'm feeling that I could ramp it up to 2 pretty soon :-) Food was less successful, but It's going to be the focus of my next challenge instead. I finished my dress in time, and was whisked off to the charity gala last weekend. We had a lovely time, and I'm thrilled with how my dress turned out! Thanks for all the encouragement and help! See you at the next challenge!!!

Hehehe :-) No worries! There is so much out there about losing weight, I know I am definitely in the minority, needing to gain weight! I am all done nursing my kiddos, thank goodness-(not that it's a bad thing, I think nursing kids for as long as you can, if you can, is the most important thing we can do for their early years health!) they extended breastfed until they were each 4, when they naturally stopped. All in, I breastfed for 7 years straight - and that was definitely a factor in how low my weight got. Before kids I was 98lbs. I'm a sahm, but I'm out and about a lot- walking to run errands, get groceries etc. (I don't drive.) It's a good idea to take a snack with me when I'm out. Homemade Trail mix maybe? Or a big breakfast cookie that's filling and portable. Easy to sneak in nuts/seeds and nut/seed butters in those. Today I'll make a big batch and freeze 'em. As for what's stopping me? I always say it's because I'm not very technically inclined, but! I know it's just an excuse!! I can be taught, lol. Goals for this coming week- finish my website, record one podcast! Killed my workout on Friday, yay! I think this is the longest I've ever stuck the working out :-D

Working away on my dress!

I'd like to do a historic/vintage homemaking podcast. It'll have #vintage 'hacks' from old manuals, funny and gross recipes from old cookbooks, chat about bringing old methods to modern living etc. I just have to make it a priority (and my yt) and DO it!! I have been procrastinating on it for years- gah! As for food intake- well.. I weigh about 92/93 lbs. I know I need to increase my caloric intake if I want to reach that magical 100lbs, and I am not a huge eater- so little snacks, more often, is better. However, I get sidetracked or busy and just plain forget to eat. Or I can't be bothered to make something for myself after feeding and looking after the kiddos. I just want to sit down! :-D I already meal plan dinners, but I think I need to prep snacks ahead of time so I actually eat'em! Lol. I recently was in a video for my husband's youtube, and I really noticed how small I am when I watched the vid. I mean, I've always been this way, but since having the kiddos, and nursing them for years, my weight has gone down 5-7lbs. It's noticeable! I'll look into intermittent fasting- is it just for folks looking to loose weight?

Yep! Walking across England (in the north, narrow part!) is totally a thing. There are paths, nice places to stay every night, and some really varied country side to walk through. It's been a definite bucket list goal!

Update time! 1. Completed 2 workouts last week, and so far just one this week. My knee has been giving me trouble (it doesn't like squats and lunges!) so I rested it, and it's doing better today. I walked a ton yesterday though, so I'm counting that as a bonus! I find the farther I walk, the more surprised I am at how far I can walk. Things that seemed way too far to walk to, seem a lot more attainable. One of my long term goals (within 5 years) is to walk across England, so upping my walking game is awesome! 2. Still struggling with food but trying to add little things here and there. I think on my next challenge, I'll make this the focus goal. 3. Not much progress on podcasts or yt. 4. Cut out the good fabric today and am starting to sew :-) Hope everyone else is rocking it!!

End of Week 2 update- Super proud I did all my workouts! Everything else is less successful, but I'm trying!

Tuesday night update- Work-outs are going well but they've finally hit my body, and I am zonked. Just totally exhausted physically. I don't get enough sleep - (I have one night owl kiddo and one early bird kiddo that pulls me out of bed at 5am) but I'm kind of used to it, but now with the extra exercising I'm really feeling it! I'm going to try and get to sleep early-ish tonight, I hope. Eventually I know exercising will give me more energy, but I hate feeling so weak right now :-( My other goal I'm already having trouble with is eating every meal plus snacks. It's just a ton of food for me. And I've already skipped or eaten something very small instead. I think I may have to tweak this goal a little to make it achievable. Being so tired doesn't make me want to cook or eat either, lol. Any suggestions to help me with this? I used to get told to drink shakes, but they would fill me up too much and then I wouldn't be hungry for meals, gah! Perhaps I should just add something very small to eat, but calorie dense? Almonds? Something else? I pulled out all my fabric and my pattern, going to start cutting out my dress tomorrow! Yay! I've also been working on my first podcast, which is going to be really fun.

Yay! Thanks! I really want to sew more this year. I'm not a pro, but I really want the costumes so I plow through the best I can :-D So far, so good! I volunteer at a historic manor, so I wear my costumes at events and doing tours. Last year, I made a big 1867 dress and hoop. It was a hoot! I will post pics if I can figure it out (I am sooo not as computer literate as I should be!) The mayor's gala is a fancy fundraiser in our town and all the proceeds are going to the manor this year, so I thought, 'what the heck, I'll dress me and hubby up regency style and we can talk everyone's ears off about the museum'. Lol, I have no shame about wearing historical costumes- I love them! End of the week report: 1.Complete! But totally exhausted, lol. 2. Check! I've been really good about planning and cooking this week. A couple times lunch got pushed back, but I'm working on it. 3. No progress. Waiting for kiddos to go back to school. 4. No progress, just completed a bit of research to figure out the open robe. I'm making the round gown from an internet tutorial and the open robe, I'm tweaking a pattern I already have. I added a couple pics as examples of what I'm aiming for!

Back again and ready to crush my goals!! I want to be strong and have more energy this year- and crack that 100lb mark that has always seemed so out of reach. (I'm a slender 92lbs, and gaining weight is tough!!) So, let's make these goals easy and achievable! 1. BBWW 3/week, minimum 1 circuit with added back/posture exercises. First thing in the morning! (exercise) 2. Eat meals 3/day, plus two snacks. No skipping, or forgetting! Put alarm on phone if need be :-) Prep snacks/meal plan. (food) 3. Post 3 podcasts, and 4 videos to YT (career) 4. Sew a 1790s round gown to wear to the Mayor's gala. (fun) Taa daa!! I'll check in at the end of the week, good luck everyone- 2018 is going to be awesome!

Fourth Challenge!! Huzzah! It's my first time joining with the Assassins group (waves goodbye to the Rebels, good luck everyone over there!) and I’m super excited to get started on the next challenge. So.. here we go! 1. Continue upping the challenge with the BBWW. This time I will do 2 circuits 3x/week. I will also continue to add posture exercises at the end of each circuit. (Fitness) 2. Oil pull with coconut oil every morning while waiting for my tea to steep. Yay for healthy teeth and gums! (Self-care) 3. In bed, lights out by 11pm. I'm looking at you harry potter fanfiction, your late nights are numbered! (Wellness) 4. Start on my 1790s red and white dress or my 1920s house dress. I can't decide! (Quest) Gotta go help my daughter build her Harley Quinn Legos... more updates soon :-) Cheers, Cornelia

Update! So, last challenge I did really well on everything but fitness, and this challenge I've done well on fitness but abysmal on all the others, lol! Last week, and this week I've done two bbww each week. I only managed one circuit but it's already getting easier. This coming week I'm going attempt 2 circuits :-) I'm getting better at going to sleep earlier- but it's a work-in-progress. I haven't managed to start Konmari yet, but hopefully tomorrow! As for swishing with coconut oil, I think I need to put a jar of it in the front of my tea cupboard, so I remember to do it every morning when I am waiting for the tea to steep!

Ha! Just finished my first bbww of the challenge, yay! Barely made it one circuit but I did it!! Added a few other exercises to the end for posture, and stretched. Lookout Thursday! You're next :-) Thanks for all the support you guys! Tomorrow I'll konmari all the clothes and report back. Cheers!

Just got back from family camp, kids had a blast and I got to try archery which has been on my bucket list for ages. (Got a monster bruise from the bowstring though, lol!) The weather was wet and muddy though, so not as many beach days as we would have liked! I'm excited to start konmari (I did get through clothes and books a couple years ago, so they should go pretty quick!) But first I have to get all our gear put away and finish the massive amounts of laundry from last week ;-) I've been reading the second book; Spark Joy, and it's really great. I find I get overwhelmed if I think about all the tidying that needs to get done around here, but I have to remember it's just one category at a time. I'd like to take a whole day for each category but with it being summer, and with 2 busy little kids running around, we'll see! I like the idea of tying fitness to a habit/incentive but in the past that's never worked for me personally. We're really on a budget right now, so gift incentives are out- and my hubby's work is priority time-wise, so any incentive based on me taking time out to do something nice for myself is sketchy. As for tying it to a habit- maybe you guys can give me suggestions? Mornings are tough for me energy-wise, but maybe something else? I've never really been able to get into a workout routine, but I know it's something I need to do! :-) I ready to jump into week two, hope everyone else is crushing it!! Cheers!

Here we go again! My last challenge went really well, except for the fitness bit, so I'm going to work especially hard to keep at my fitness goal this round. I had a chat with my Dr earlier this week, and we decided that any cardiovascular (like c25k) is a bad idea, and I'm going to focus on building muscle, and increasing my food intake first. Afterwards, I can work on endurance etc. Without further ado.... Challenge Goals: 1. BBWW 3/week, start at 1 set and increase as I'm able. (Fitness) 2. Oil pull with coconut oil daily in the morning. (Self-care) 3. In bed, trying to sleep, by 11pm. No reading until wee hours! (Wellness) 4. Start the tidying method from the book 'The life-changing magic of tidying-up'. Clothes and books first. (Quest) I going away to ymca family camp for the first week of the challenge, so I might put off a couple of the goals (coconut oil, tidying) until I get back. Good luck everyone, we can do it!!

Challenge wrap-up, Huzzah! 1. Exercise fail. I did not find time/make this a priority. I have to rethink my fitness goal for the next challenge. 2. Brushing/flossing and mouthwash ftw! Now trying to get the kiddos involved. My 4yo is not liking it at all.. 3. 3x Meals/day. Definite improvement. I started menu planning again, and am trying to always have something quick to eat around. I've been researching different diets a bit and they all go against each other, it's maddening. Paleo vs. Vegetarian vs. Omnivore's dilemma (oldfashioned-food). I guess it's basically up to me to just do what I think is best? 4. Dress got finished in the nick of time! I had a blast at my historic house, we had over 300 visitors through!! Huge success!! Still trying to figure out how to post a pic.. lol!

Checking in! 1) Exercise fail. Going to rethink this for the next challenge. 2) Doing pretty darn good on flossing and mouthwash. A couple nights I've fallen asleep with the kids, but overall, I'm doing it! 3)Working hard to eat 3 meals a day. It's been really hot and humid here lately, so the desire to eat big meals isn't there, but I'm trying to at least eat something.. The hubby and I are planning to have pasta salads etc in the fridge all summer as an easy snack/meal. 4) My mum is sewing my skirt, my hoop is almost done, and I've cut out my bodice, just have to stitch it together! Tomorrow is my kids' last day of school, so tomorrow morning I'm going to take my last bit of free time and sew like crazy. Really looking forward to it!

Lol, thanks! Honestly, I'm not very good at it yet, but I just dive in anyway because I like historical dress so much. Steve's book (and when he pretended to be all James Bond) really inspired me to live my story too and be the heroine!

Another week done! Let's see how it went... 1. No exercise yet. Once again, I am finding this part the most difficult part of the challenge. Life is exercise for me, and after pulling 70lbs of kids around town in a wagon all day, walking 3-4km, doing yard work, mowing the grass (with a reel mower) etc my body is just exhausted. I know these are excuses.. and if I really wanted to do this I would make it a priority. Maybe, I need to make this goal even smaller? Like 5 min of yoga, or a plank every other morning? Something so tiny that it doesn't drain me, or need me to clear a solid chunk of time out of my day for it? I will have to have a rethink about this one! 2. Floss and mouthwash: double check! Haven't been oil pulling though, but I think I'll save that for the next challenge. 3. Better. But..total fail today. I had toast and fruit for brekkie (my normal breakfast) but volunteered all afternoon and missed lunch. I had an apple around 3pm, and then managed dinner by 7:30 (a chicken wrap, and leftover roast potatoes and carrots, with lots of full fat sour cream :-) 4. Hoop is almost done!! It's sooo cool! I've made it from poly tubing (not historically accurate but much cheaper!) My sweet mother has offered to sew my skirt together, so I've got 2 weeks to finish the bodice, and faff about with a hat. I'll try to post a pic soon :-)

Almost a week in, so I better update! I'm really digging these smaller and simpler goals! I'm actually feeling like I'm accomplishing something and not feeling guilty about not being able to achieve them. 1. Not yet. Hubby is away on business this week, so I will once he gets back. 2. Floss and mouthwash: check! 3. Pretty good. I've only missed a couple meals. One breakfast because I was busy doing the school run and errands and time disappeared. And one lunch for similar reasons! 4. Cut out my skirt fabric, and all the pattern pieces. Next week I have to finish my hoop and start sewing the skirt together. Overall, a good week! Looking forward to the next!!!!

It's called oil pulling, and it's supposed to help your gums, reduce bacteria etc in your mouth, and even pull stains from teeth. Some folks say it does more, but mainly it's good for better dental health.

The last challenge was unfortunately derailed by life stuff, so I shall endeavor to try again!! I'm going to keep my goals super simple too. 1. Couch25k, but only one run a week. Right now, in this season of life, finding 30 minutes to just leave the house (by myself) more than once a week is proving impossible. 1/week is a doable goal. 2. Use mouthwash every night after flossing. Bonus: Swish with coconut oil after brekkie. 3. Eat 3 meals a day; around the right time- it's so easy to forget about breakfast or lunch if I'm busy with the kiddos. Note: This doesn't have to be anything fancy, a pb&j is better than nothing! 4. Complete 1867 dress for Canada's 150th birthday. Yay!!! I'm really excited about this because it'll be my first ever dress with a hoop, so much awesome.