Bienvenidos to My Wellness Journey 02.2021. I am providing a monthly update to the goals I set last month, here. For 3 years, I have journaled about my wellness goals which has helped keep me more accountable.
Happy to report, I have had my second Covid vaccination. I had the Pfizer inoculation. Didn’t have anything more than a mild headache with the first round but this second was a little different. Body aches, low grade fever that had me taking it easy for about 24 hours afterward.
With my vaccinations on board, I am looking forward to healthier, happier, more active days are ahead.
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MY WELLNESS JOURNEY 02.2021
As a refresher, you might want to see how I fared overall on last year’s goals, here. And as in years past, I will be rating my progress on a scale of 1-5. Going to give myself a 2.5 as a starting score. Anything different indicates a change this month. Hoping to have all ‘5s’ in every category by the end of 2021.
PHYSICAL HEALTH – 3.0 (up .5)
- Lose Covid lockdown weight: about 8 pounds depending on how much I have indulged before weigh-in on Saturday mornings. For the record, yesterday I was 143.8. At 136 pounds, my clothes fit so much better. Last weigh in on Saturday was 142.1. But the week before was 141.1!! I can do this. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.
- Workout 4 times a week: we have our video workouts, and our mini-gym in the garage, and warmer weather on the way. I have put together a playlist of video workouts that I have discovered for seniors and fitness beginners. We are doing well on this. My arms and abs are where I am seeing some improvement. String bikini body here I come!!
- Walk everyday: video walks in the house for bad weather days, walks in nature when the weather is pleasant. Participating in my second StepBet walking challenge. Earned almost $4 for the first one. Love getting paid to walk!! Learn more here.
NUTRITIONAL HEALTH – 2.5 (holding steady)
- Cook meals at home 4x a week: want to do this and track my Weight Watcher points until I get this extra weight off. Continue subscribing to HelloFresh and enjoying their low calorie meals. Have enjoyed using the HelloFresh recipes to make the delicious meals from ingredients I purchase myself. Need to do better about tracking. We have eaten out too much lately also.
- Smoothies: in the mornings. Need some new ingredient ideas to spice things up. Found this pin on Pinterest. Need to make a list of new ingredients tonight before doing our monthly grocery shopping tomorrow.
- Alcohol and sweets on weekends: going to be more careful about this again. Except PC’s birthday was this past weekend and we are still enjoying his birthday cake and ice cream. Need to sit down and eat the rest and be done with it!!
SPIRITUAL HEALTH – 2.5 (holding steady)
- Quiet time: at least M-F, getting up early to do it first thing. I did quiet time 14 times, so not quite 3 week’s worth of M-F devotionals. Need to do better.
- Bible journaling: a couple of times a month. Nary a time in February. Boo.
- Gratitude journaling: every night. Might have missed 3 days. Yay me!
MENTAL HEALTH – 3.0 (up .5)
- Duolingo: food for my brain. On a 56 day streak learning Spanish. But have been doing Duolingo almost every day this year.
- Weekly artistic activity – #100DayProject: we choose a creative project, do it every day for 100 days, and share your process online – so going to work on my ever-lovin’ mosaic. And continue scrapbooking, painting, collages. I signed up for 2 more collage classes with Jennifer Chamberlin at The Maker Beehive. Her bicycle and bird collages. Hope to work on those with my baby sissy during Valerie’s spring break. Have been making terrific progress on my mosaic. It is amazing what a little pressure (thank you#100DayProject) will do. Also enjoying work on my Valentine wreath. Might be ready in time for next year!!
- Goodreads goal: Meet or exceed my reading goal for 2021. Currently 3 books ahead of schedule. Are we Goodreads friends yet?
RELATIONSHIP HEALTH – 3.0 (up .5)
- Visit family: want to visit Brennyn, Cady and Mustafa desperately; go see my mom and PC’s mom. I have had my Covid vaccines and Paul is scheduled for his second shot in 2 weeks. Then we can begin to make plans to visit the moms. I am surprising Cady at Disney World when they go next week. We wanted PC to go, too. But he didn’t feel right about going there before visiting his mom since he hasn’t seen her since this whole Covid business began.
- Planned activities with PC: plan purposeful activities and not let weekends come and go without having fun. Here’s one place my bucket lists come in handy. Check out my winter bucket list update, here. We have had game nights, soaks in the hot tub, taken lots of walks, enjoyed a few meals out, a trip to the zoo with the babies, and have a massage coming up this weekend.
- Strengthen relationships with grandbabies: especially need to show love and spend time with Cady on Facetime or phone calls. Because my Cady Coo doesn’t know I am going to surprise her at Disney next week, I sent her a box filled with clothes for her to wear on her trip and $20 to spend while she is there. She tried on everything for me the other day on Facetime. That baby girl is growing up so fast. She looked adorable in her new watermelon bikini from Target. Can’t wait to see her in everything in person!! Also, our public library was giving away new books through Reforma. I picked up the popular tween title Click’d by Tamara Ireland Stone to read with Cady at night in Florida.
PREVENTATIVE HEALTH MAINTENANCE – 2.5 (holding steady)
- Monday manis: give myself a manicure every Monday. Started out well on this and then LIFE. Find myself chewing my cuticles rather than manicuring them. Will get back on track.
- Skin care: sunscreen, bedtime complexion routine, occasional facials. Nothing to write home about here.
- Routine health care: make appointments for routine checks – dentist, dermatology, mammogram, vision. No appointments yet.
FINANCIAL HEALTH – 3.0 (up .5)
- Continue saving each month: saving a little each month. Yes.
- Save for Christmas, Disney and birthdays: investigate Christmas Club and Vacation Club accounts as well as ways to save for Disney. Opened a Christmas club account and have saved for Disney. Now to spend that money with my daughter, SIL and granddaughter.
- Watch spending: don’t pull the trigger on impulsive purchases. My Prince was a terrible influence in February. He introduced me to the Amazon daily deals. I wouldn’t shop myself but he would send me links for things he thought I might like. Here are a few of the things I bought but probably didn’t need. Looking at you Voeons yoga shorts. And you Fety workout leggings. But hey, if they help me meet my fitness goals, we’re good, right? However, no more daily deals in March!!
If these goals look familiar, they might just be!! They are about the same goals I have been working on over the past 3 years. Practice makes perfect, right?
YOUR TURN
Did you make any wellness goals for the year? If so, how are you progressing? Hope you will continue to follow me on my wellness journey. And just maybe we can inspire one another toward a healthier 2021.
Stay well, my friends. Thanks for coming by to visit. Don’t forget 10 on the 10th coming up on…you guessed it, the 10th!! 10 things you love about spring. Grab the graphic, here. And spring bucket list reveal on 03.21.2021. Get those thinking caps on!
Fist bumps and elbow taps,
Joanne
Hey, they’re all either up or holding steady so that’s good. I have been great about tracking my points (I think…) but somehow the weight is just not budging at all. I’m trying not to get discouraged but I know it’s all the sugary sweets I’m consuming. Sure I’m tracking them but I could be making such better choices. I do need to get better about working out when it’s not nice enough to get out hiking and walking. I am just not motivated to do anything when I’m stuck at home.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
It is hard some days to feel motivated to exercise but we are doing better than we have in a long time. Yay!!
Gale
Congratulations, Leslie, on getting both of your COVID shots! My husband has had both of his, and I get my second next week. I’m a little leery of possible side effects, but my daughter tells me that just means it’s working. It will be so good to get back out in society again!
I’m really looking forward to hearing about your Disney trip. That sounds like so much fun! We had one planned for New Year’s 2020, reservations made and everything, but had to cancel thanks to you-know-what. Grrrrr! Loved your post!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
So relieved that all the adults I am closest to have now been vaccinated. Hurray!!
Debbie Harris
Lovely to catch up with you here Leslie, you are sounding positive and meeting your goals! Go you 🙂
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you my bike riding friend.
jodie filogomo
I love how you include both your financial health and your relationships with this Leslie!! Those are so important too!!
We’ve been having smoothies every morning as part of our breakfast. And I try to get 2 vegetables in every jar. I combine the ingredients (minus the milk) the night ahead in a mason jar, and then throw it in the blender in the morning with the milk. That’s the only way I can make it happen. If I had to do it all in the morning…no way!!!
OXOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Leslie Roberts Clingan
So crazy…I remember responding to all of these comments…and I guess my responses were lost with the silly hiccups on my blog. I remember reading that you put your smoothie ingredients in a jar. We freeze ours in a bag. Then I pluck one from the freezer to use each day. We just add low cal juice to ours and presto—ready to blend and enjoy.
Lovely
You are doing great with your goals! Keep up!
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you!!
Kellyann Rohr
I am so excited you’ll be in my neck of the woods next week enjoying Disney and your sweet girl!!! Glad you have had your vaccine and feel better getting out – a return to life is in order!
xo,
Kellyann
Leslie Roberts Clingan
My time at Disney with my baby girl Cady was short and sweet. Missing her already.
Danielle
Looks like you are doing a good job on checking off those goals. I can’t wait to hear all about Disney!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you. So glad to be back on track.
Dara
You are doing great! I’m happy you have had your vaccines!
Bri Runde
High-diving you for doing so great, Leslie!!! Keep pushing forward! I think it’s great you know what weight you fee best at in your clothes. I do too and the past couple weeks have shown me I need to get back on track. Thanks for your motivation m!
Bri Runde
*High-FIVING ☺️
Leslie Roberts Clingan
High five back at ya!!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you!!
jess jannenga
HI Leslie,
Great to read those goals. Sounds like you are doing well with your health. I have a few appointments to make as I canceled the Mammo andt. dentist for when Covid was at its worst. We have been using Blue Apron’s meal prep, where they give you 4 meals and you can prepare them on Sunday’s ahead of the week. It is great too, as my mom is here, so it comes in handy. Your workouts sound good too- I am doing treadmill incline walking and weights- just bought the long therabands.
Hope you have a great week!
jess xx
http://www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you!!
Joanne Long
You are doing great with your goals. Congratulations on your vaccinations. Canada does not produce any vaccine and so must wait in line to buy it. We’ll be getting our first shot in a couple of months and the second 4 months later unless there is a change in approvals or production rate. I just binged a book called The Push by Ashley Audain. I started reluctantly for book club and I finished it in one day. You might enjoy it. I like the Monday mani idea. My nails tend to break and do require care on a scheduled basis.I’m working a couple days a week and mostly enjoying it although I prefer to work library rather than classroom.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Yes, I have The Push on my reading list!!
Michelle
I’m so glad you were able to get your second vaccine and that your husband isn’t too far behind. My mom gets her second one on Friday. I’m so excited for her. The isolation has been tough on her, although my husband and I have been visiting 3 times a week. She lives 10 minutes from us. But she is typically a busy lady, and my husband and I do not provide all the interaction that she craves.
Your goals are very worthy and thorough! Cady is going to be so excited to find that you’re going to Disney World too.
Despite not having any vaccine yet, I am working on some health issues – getting my heart checked out due to heart disease on one side of my family starting in their 50s (I’m 57). And the screening colonoscopy recommended for people over 50. While I would have preferred to do these things after getting my vaccines, I also didn’t want to allow any potential problems to fester either.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com,
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thinking your tests came out okay and that you have been vaccinated by now. Hope so!!
Mary-Lou
Yeah for getting both of your Pfizer COVID vaccine. I use to set wellness goals within my OLW, but I haven’t done for a couple of years; time to return to this habit.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Such relief to have my vaccine. And to know all of the adults I am closest to have also been vaccinated.
Erica/Erika
Hi Leslie, This is an inspiring, comprehensive post. I am happy to hear the vaccinations are moving forward. Your fitness approach appears to be a ‘make it happen’ and no excuses. Good for you! Don’t spend the $4 all in one place. I enjoy seeing the art you share on Instagram, talented and creative. Upping the healthcare is a good point. All of this has been going on too long. Thank you for sharing a great post!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you!! I am on my third StepBet challenge and am up to $11 in winnings so far. Yay!!
Leanne | www.crestingthehill.com.au
Hi Leslie – I love the variety in your goals and I can hear your excitement about the family meet up at Disney World – it’s going to be so lovely for you. I hope that things get easier as more people take up the vaccine in the months ahead – before you know it, you’ll all be out and about, hugging, smiling, mask-free, and loving life to the full again.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you sweets!!
Natalie
Leslie, Glad to hear that you’ve got your vaccines, more health protection is a win. Great job with your wellness goals, too. I’ve been doing well with my health goals: Walk and cycle outdoors, meditation, yoga and body weight workouts at home since the gym is still closed here. Have a wonderful time at Disney World. Cady is going to be so excited to see you there. Thank you for linking with #WeekendCoffeeShare.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Had such a great visit with Cady in Disney. Thank you!
Patricia West Doyle
Just reading all your goals exhausts me! I’m not going to do a compare and despair though…my current thing is doing a 30-day yoga thing on-line… but decided I didn’t need to do 30 consecutive days! Hah!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Ha!! Reading about your move exhausts me!! Hope you are about to get that behind you.
kirstin troyer
I really like your goals Leslie!!!! I haven’t made a wellness list, but if I did many of the things you had on yours would probably go on mine. lol. Nice job on the Duoling streak. I haven’t been doing as well. Uggh.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you!! Come do a wellness post with me.