Wellness sisters, welcome! Third Sunday of the month means it’s time for Wellness Weekend 04.2020. Sharing an update on my wellness goals and talking a little bit about water sport. This time last month, we were just getting started with the stay at home restrictions. In March’s post, I updated my wellness goals and talked about springing forward. If you missed that post, click here to read it. Then let’s see how I’ve done in the past 4 weeks toward improving my wellness. Still aiming for all 5s by the year’s end.
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Wellness Weekend 04.2020 Goals Update
It’s been a crazy 4 weeks. Here’s where we are this month.
PHYSICAL HEALTH – 2.5 (DOWN .5)
- Stretch and work out 4x a week , Weight Watchers to maintain weight – What can I say other than…COVID-19. We are enjoying these very do-able HASfit workout videos, that’s something, right? There are over 1,000 to choose from!! But Weight Watchers? NOT.
- Get 7200 steps and 3 floors a day – actually doing well at this. My daughters and sons-in-law gave me a new fitness tracker. I loved my old fitness tracker and wore it so much that the bands finally wore out and wouldn’t stay on. This new one is even nicer. Have upped my steps to 7500 and my floors to 5.
- Walk in nature for 30 minutes a day, 5x a week – yup, back to walking more often. We have combined walking and jogging and are venturing out into the desert for both. Here I am on Friday in my EP visor and the view from that morning’s walk.
NUTRITIONAL HEALTH – 4.0 (HOLDING STEADY)
- Cook meals at home 4x a week – in this case, Covid-19 is helping me achieve a goal. Restaurants and bars are closed here as of 04.01.2020, with the exception of pick-up or drive through. Did just discover one of our favorite mom and pop Mexican restaurants is offering pick-up. Thinking I might hit up PC to get it for dinner on Saturday.
- Eat 1 fruit and 1 veggie every day (sad, I know) – hard to keep fresh produce on hand. I am shopping only every 10 days or so, and not picking up a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables.
- Indulge in alcohol and sweets on weekends – well…have had 2 DQ Blizzards but didn’t finish the last one! Overall, doing pretty well on this. Oh, there was my German chocolate birthday cake. And this coconut cheesecake cream pie I will be making this weekend for my upcoming spring recipe swap and blog hop. Come join us!!
SPIRITUAL HEALTH – 3.5 (HOLDING STEADY)
- Develop a morning routine M-F – one of the weekly themes for the 52 week organized home challenge 2020 I am following is finding a morning and evening routine. With my PC working from home these days, my routine has fallen by the wayside. Looking into creating a Covid-19 morning routine for the time being. Anyone have experience with Google Keep or Samsung Notes (both get 4.4 out of 5 stars on Google Play)? Also thinking of checking out Make Over Your Mornings/Evenings.
- Enjoy quiet time M-F (devotional, writing, reading, moment of silence and prayer) – yes. Have been hitting snooze every morning, using that 10 minutes to remember my blessings and say my prayers. Reading my way through Vertical Marriage, Present over Perfect and Embraced: 100 Devotions to Know God is Holding You Close.
- Use aroma therapy during my morning routine – yuppers, using a diffuser when I do Bible study in the loft. Just need to get back into my loft more often.
MENTAL HEALTH – 3.0 (DOWN .5)
- Get dressed every day (not active wear), wear a dress or skirt to church – oh, dear. Negative on this one. Wearing active wear almost exclusively except on the days I venture out, with my mask, to grocery shop. There was a day, before the stay at home order went into effect, where I posed in the poppies, here.
- Weekly artistic activity; word games, journal – playing word games, journaling, and scrapbooking with my sister. Hoping to get some rocks painted in the coming week to satisfy an activity on my spring bucket list. Stay tuned for an update to my progress on this season’s list coming out on 04.21.2020.
- Read 3 books a month in order to meet my Goodreads goal (are we friends on Goodreads yet?) – and Covid-19 strikes again. Have a new goal of visiting the public library once a month. But the libraries are now closed. Just finished The Dressmaker’s Gift by Fiona Valpy. Feeling particularly energetic (or having more free time all of a sudden?) my online book club decided to read 2 books this month. Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown and Pearls of Wisdom by Barbara Bush. Come read with me!!
RELATIONSHIP HEALTH – 3.0 (Down .5)
- Unplug at 8:30 pm, implement evening routine – have just gotten better at this. Hope to have a great report for you in this area next month.
- Date night with PC 2x a month (bucket list activities) – since the stay at home restrictions were implemented, our dating life has slowed down considerably. A few restrictions are being lifted in the coming week so I am excited at the prospect of maybe enjoying a picnic at Hueco Tanks State Park.
- Me time, develop friendships, take a class or do something for myself – once upon a time I was playing pickleball, had registered for two 5K races (one canceled, one postponed til fall), had signed up for a mosaic class hosted by a gal who also plays pickleball. But none of that has been possible, of course. Hope to get back at it all soon.
PREVENTATIVE HEALTH MAINTENANCE -3.0 (Down 1.0)
- Improved skin care, routine facials – before Covid, I was looking into a 6-Minute Cryo Facial Rejuvenation: “cold air blast” using our cold air localized device. Ideal to improve skin complexion, reduce blemishes and increase skin elasticity, $35.00. [source] Need to pull out my facial brush and DIY-it for now.
- Weekly dry brushing – continuing several times a week. Finally, finally something unaffected by Covid.
- Regular manicures – yes, had 4 professional manis then decided to take a break as my nails were thin and stressed from the gel polish. And then Covid. My nails and cuticles look so raggedy. Need to try to do a mani myself.
FINANCIAL HEALTH – 3.0 (DOWN .5)
- Continue saving each month – opened a teensy baby money market account, and have made a monthly deposits, bought a teensy baby bit of stock using Robinhood.
- Save for birthdays and Christmas – saving a little each month.
- Keep spending under control – well…let me ‘splain. I haven’t been able to go to the outlet mall so have been doing a bit of online shopping from my recliner. Bought these desert colored high-waisted camo Rockstar super skinny jeans, these lace-up leopard print tennies, and this pink open front sweater all from Old Navy. Jesse at Elegantly Dressed and Stylish inspired me with this look. Which meant I had to order a camo skirt. This one, to be exact. Need to plan some posts from my fashion haus real soon.
Wonder what the coming 4 weeks will bring? Hopefully, a return to normal or steps in that direction, at least.
Water Sport
Our optional theme this month is water sport. As you know, we have a pool that has been problematic since the day they broke ground on it. But this year, we are hoping to focus on enjoying the water, the exercise it provides, and not the 30+ cracks in the deck and the rust stain that has shown up along the wall at one end.
I try to swim laps but according to this article by Shape.com, there are a number of water exercises I could be doing as an alternative to swimming. The only equipment needed is a kickboard. They recommend this one.
So, I have put this in my Amazon cart for payday. However, our pool water is only 72* so no rush in getting this order filled. I am looking forward to trying these water exercises in addition to swimming.
Your Turn
How are you maintaining some kind of work out routine while being quarantined? Do find yourself eating more or less? Spending more or less? Sleeping more or less? Do these days seem shorter or longer? Please share in a comment below or link up your wellness weekend post.
Going to Facetime with my sister and scrap while PC goes into work for a meeting. If you have a spring bucket list post, come back to link up with me for that on Tuesday, 04.21.2020.
Stay well, my sweet friends.
Hugs and kisses,
Well you are doing well on your goals. You have a fantastic area to walk! Amazing. Is it always so quite there or just now?
It is not as quiet here normally as it has been since the stay at home order went into place. I love the quiet. Of course, I am a librarian!! And an introvert. So the sound of crickets is music to my ears. I am enjoying not being awakened shortly after sunrise by cars and other traffic.
Bearing in mind the exceptional times we are living in, I think you’re doing brilliantly! Thank goodness we are all allowed out for daily exercise, a walk in the fresh air really lifts your spirits doesn’t it?
We are only shopping once a week and I am amazed at how well that is going. Even the fruit and veg seems to be lasting from one week to the next. I’ve also found that I’m throwing away less, I never thought I was wasteful but if a carrot looked a bit past its best, it went in the food waste bin. Nowadays it is peeled, chopped and used as a base for a bolognese sauce!
How lucky you are to be having your restrictions lessened, we have been told we have at least another 3 weeks of strict lockdown 🙁 Let’s not even think about that will be affecting my waistline as I am doing a LOT of baking to fill my days …
I was tickled to read that you are baking your days away. I started back on Weight Watchers yesterday, then made a coconut pie. We are shopping about every 10 days. I bought strawberries a week or so ago and they had completely gone bad in a matter of days. Need to not let the fresh produce get pushed to the back of the refrigerator.
You are doing great with your goal progress! I am in awe of your persistence with exercising. We have at least 4 more weeks of our Stay at Home Order as it was just extended until May 15th.
You guys are right there with us. Still a month of this ahead of us. Longing to kiss my grandbabies. And I know you are, too.
You’re doing very well with your goals considering the unprecedented times we are in. The poppy fields in your area look beautiful. Thank you for linking up with me this Wellness Weekend. We’ve got this! #WW2020
It wasn’t until May last year, that I really got serious about my wellness and then 2019, was a banner year from then on out. Wellness-wise, anyway! I am not worried about my tight jeans yet. Yet!
I think a lot of us can sympathize with struggles in the physical and mental health department. I can for sure! I haven’t even stepped on the scale in weeks. I am afraid to! 🙂 My mental health was better this week, then Hubby and I did a long run today and I had another full meltdown at about the 4-mile mark. I was able to finish the run, eventually. One day at a time, right?
Bless your heart, I read that you were struggling during some of your runs. Maybe running is a release for you, and allows you to let go of some of those bottled up emotions. We are running – very short distances – but it is a first for PC since he retired from the Army. I want to return to easily running 3 miles. That would make me feel very happy and accomplished!!
I think you did a great job considering what’s been going on in the world. Alec and I cooked up our recipe last week and took pictures… of our mango scones with lime glaze! We just had new ordinances pass on Friday so I don’t think our restrictions will be lifting any time soon but if our weather stays close to what it was today we’ll be OK. We managed a two hour hike today and I am feeling so much better mentally and physically already. I think we’re saving some money during these times but it does feel like I’m just spending more on groceries and Kindle books for us all so maybe we’re not.
Ha! I think we are saving more money, too. Although, I went a little nuts with online shopping this month. But it was my birthday month. So that’s forgivable, right? Our temps are going to be in the 90s* this week. Almost too warm for mid-spring. May have to turn on the AC. Looking forward to seeing pictures and reading your mango scones recipe/post.
You are a true inspiration, Leslie. Well done on your goals!
Thank you, Donna. Hope to get back solidly on track once life returns to normal.
I think you’re doing a great job – Covid 19 really messed with a lot!
* I’m moving okay, but it’s a struggle somedays
* I’m eating okay as well, but I need to lay off some of the sweets
*sleeping? not so great, but some nights are better than others
*I’m staying mostly positive though, and I’m reading a bit more, so that’s a plus!
-Lauren
Thank you for cheering me on. You know, we are all under strain so we are doing the best we can. This will be behind us
and then we can get back on track. We have to give ourselves some grace.
I am not sleeping well, either. Especially on Thursday and Sunday nights. And last night, a Tuesday, when the kitties snuck into bed with us. Glad you are using this time to do more reading.
I love how you break your goals down into scores. I’m doing well on my morning routines and my steps and floors are through the roof (pun intended) – I’m aiming for 84000 steps for the week and getting there – even allowing for one very lazy day. Food? Portion sizes are creeping up and comfort food creeping in. Midweek alcohol is also another hard habit to break at present. We’re still at level 3 for another month or so, but can get take aways.
I think we are all doing the best we can. And we can get back on track once we are back to normal. Sadly we tend to go into hibernation mode in the winter and had just ‘awakened’ from hibernation when Covid struck. But once the restrictions are loosened, we will get back at exercising and eating better.
I’m not sure when we will be back to normal again. I think that I have to set a minimum steps expectation. We are at a critical time of life which will determine how we go into “older age”. Cardio, flexibility and strength combined with some spiritual, intellectual and artistic activities are a good base on which to build.
Joanne, so glad to have you come by! How correct you are, that we are determining now how we will age in the future. PC and I have always kind of hibernated in the winter…which is not good. And this year we went from hibernation into Covid. So prolonged sedentary-ness! But with May approaching and the hope of a return to normalcy, we are beginning to move a little more. Stay healthy, my friend.
It’s funny how Covid is helping some goals (walking outside, cooking home more) and hindering others. I wish I was getting out for a walk 5 days a week; we’ve had a patch of morning rain days that has made walks not top priority. I was pondering a picnic date for me and Mr. CP… Maybe next week once he takes his final exam! Congratulations on your progress!
Yes to a picnic when Mr. CP has taken his final exam. Perfect reason for a celebration. I brought home my grandmother’s picnic basket last year when we moved my mom and hasve been anxious to take it out for a trial run. Once the parks we open, we are definitely going picnicking!!
Your updates and goals are always so motivating! I have decided I must say no to alcohol and sweets for awhile, my mid section is soooooooo out of control at the moment. I’d like to set better goals for myself as far as walking outside 5 days a week and doing some stretching each day. Thanks for inspiring me!
xo,
Kellyann
I can tell a big difference when I lay off the carbs and alcohol. Right now I am struggling to keep from eating entire meals of carbs!! But I am at least conscious of a need for change. We don’t drink much, mostly because PC doesn’t want to and then I feel guilty when I do! But I am thankful he is the way he is.
You are doing so well with your goals it’s motivating me to get on mine! I have been walking outdoors more than ever and its the one thing that keeps me from going crazy! I need to eat more fruits and veggies and less snacks and wine!
Jill – Doused in Pink
We have done pretty well in the drinking department. Dad gum it!! I am game for making every quarantine night a wine night!!