Healthy Tipping Point

Who has a candy hangover?

Bonus of being a parent – you get to enact a “Mom Tax” on your kid’s Halloween candy!  Hah. 

On Friday, we had an awesome time trick or treating. I had no doubts that Henry would be really into it, as his favorite things are 1) talking to strangers; 2) getting attention; and 3) candy.   I’ll admit that I put zero effort into his costume (or mine or the Husband’s).  In the past, we’ve rented costumes and gone all out in our dress-up, but October was so hectic that I phoned in our get-ups.  Henry’s fireman outfit was a dress-up costume that my mom gifted him last year.

The only reason the Husband and I ended up being “cats” is because BFF Nicole painted on our whiskers when we arrived at her house.  Nicole and her hubby, on the other hand, went all out and were super creepy skeletons.

After roaming the neighborhood for a while, the kids started to complain that they were tired, so we went home and everyone ate a ton of candy.  I place no real limits on how much candy Henry can eat on Halloween, but I cut him off the next day (cause, you know, Mom needs chocolate, too…).

On Saturday, we recovered from the previous night’s fun.  I ended up walking around the mall with Nicole while Henry napped – the mall was nuts!  I can’t believe people are already doing holiday shopping. That evening, I ended up not feeling too great {pregnancy-wise} and glued myself to the couch. 

I was super disappointed to miss my friend Sean’s big photography event.  He pulled together this awesome project in Uptown Charlotte – he organized 150 photographers to simultaneously photograph a mile-long section of a big boulevard, and he’s going to digitally stitch it together to create the world’s longest panoramic photo!  You can read all about the project here – it’s pretty cool!

Neat, huh?

On Sunday, I felt a bit better, so I went to the gym and walked on treadmill for 20 minutes – that’s pretty much what my exercise has come down to.  Short walks!  It’s no wonder when I look like this…

36 weeks pregnant today!  Baby could come today… or in 5 weeks.  Hah. 

Also, I cannot let this weekend pass without mentioning the hell that Daylight Savings Time brought down on my schedule/life.  Whoever invented this shit did not have a toddler.  But there are SOME positives to the time change…

Funny because it’s true.

Let’s see – what else?  Oh, here are the three best things that I ate over the weekend:

#1 – Stir-fried potatoes and zuchinni, fruit, and eggs – because breakfast always tastes better when the Husband cooks it!

#2 – An Udi’s GF cinnamon role with tea.

#3 – A mish-mash of yogurt, granola, oatmeal, and fruit.

And today… It’s Monday!

This is the daily animal traffic jam on my stairs – Ferguson runs down first and then refuses to move, and the dogs then stall out because they refuse to pass him because he’ll beat the crap out of them.  It’s pretty funny. 

Something Worth Talking About…

Matt from NoMeatAthlete.com wrote a HuffPo article entitled “The Not-So-Secret Secrets to Succeeding at Anything.”  It really made me pause and think.  One of his arguments is that “everything in moderation” doesn’t always work if you want to be successful. 

I talk a lot about big, "unreasonable" goals. Their power is that they’re exciting. They create energy. They’re the last thing you think about at night and the first you think about in the morning.

But if you aren’t willing to obsess over them, you’re wasting your time. That’s the whole point of setting your goals so big.

The very nature of all-consuming obsession is that you can’t do it about very many things. So pick the three — or better, the one — that’s really worthy of your time and energy for the next few months or years.

Then go make it happen. Whatever it takes.

Do you believe in “everything in moderation” or do you think you have to be “obsessed” to meet goals?  Does it depend on the goal?

You guys know I love a clean home. But it’s hard to keep up with things, so every now and then – it looks completely trashed.  And more often than not, that’s when I get a phone call from a dear friend who happens to be in the neighborhood…

“Can I drop by in 10 minutes or so? I’d love to see you!”

My answer is always YES – and then I go into hyperdrive mode to make the house look presentable.  This exact scenario happened yesterday, and while I was tidying up, I realized that my “method” would be an awesome thing to share on the blog.  This technique is especially important for the holidays!

Now – “Drop-By Guest Clean” is not actually clean.  It’s about the appearance of clean.  But when you have family or friends stopping by in 10 minutes, that’s all you can really ask for.

Step 1:  Tackle Smells

In a small pot, combine 1.5 cup water, two tablespoons of cinnamon, and one tablespoon of vanilla extract.  Turn heat to HIGH and let it come to a boil.  This combo releases an AWESOME, ALL-NATURAL smell into your home and makes it seem like you were just  baking cookies.  Hah.  Very important – the last step in the “Drop-By Guest Clean” process is to remove the pot from the stove.  You don’t want it to burn!

Step 2: Tackle Clutter

Grab a reusable grocery bag and throw everythingon visible surfaces in it – toss in the mail, the piles of magazines, the books, the receipts, the field trip forms, whatever.  Then, toss the bag into your bedroom and close the door.  I prefer this method to making neat stacks of things because I think an empty coffee table looks cleaner than a “tidy” one.

If you have kids, you’ll also want to wrangle at least some of the toys.  You could drop everything into cute baskets, try my behind-the-couch method, toss stuff into a closet, or – again – throw the bigger pieces into your bedroom.

Step 3: Tackle the Guest Bathroom

Bathrooms are a scary place to clean – but the “Drop-By Guest Clean” process is super simple.  Light a candle and put it on the back of the toilet.  Grab two rags and an all-purpose cleaning spray.  Use the first rag to clean up the floor, wiping up stray hairs or dust.  Use the second rag to wipe down the mirror, then sink, and then the outside of toilet (plus under the lid, if a male is coming over).  If there’s a ring in the toilet bowl, quickly scrub it. If you have toothbrushes or anything out on the counter, put the junk into a drawer.  Refold the hand towel.  That’s it!

Step 4: Tackle the Kitchen

No time for dishes!  Instead – hide them.  I stash dirty pots and pans in the oven (just don’t forget they’re in there and turn it on later!).  Put dirty dishes in a large soup pot and stash it under the sink.  Or – do what my Mom does – and pile everything in the sink and drape a dish towel over the mess.  Then, wipe down the countertops and spot-clean any big messes on the floor.

Step 5: Vacuum Sneaky

Okay – we’re running out of time!  I skip this step if my floors look decent, but if they are in desperate need of a vacuum, I “vacuum sneaky,” which involves putting vacuum lines on the rug in my living room (where my guests sit).  This gives the appearance of a completely vacuumed house, even if it means I only ran it for 30 seconds!

Step 6:  Lights!

Turn off any harsh overhead lights and throw open the blinds or flip on table lamps instead.  It’s amazing how much cleaner your home will look in soft lighting!

Other fun cleaning posts:

Toy Control!

Simple Tips for a Cleaner House

Make Your Own Swiffer Pads + Solution

Woo to the hoo! My travels during pregnancy are OVER. While I am always grateful for the opportunity to travel for work (and play!), I’m also pretty pumped to be permanently home until the arrival of Little One.

I traveled regularly through both of my pregnancies, but the bulk of my travel was at different times in each process. When pregnant with Henry, I traveled a lot in the first and early second trimester. This time around, I did some travel in the first trimester and a bunch in the third, including flying at 34 and 35 weeks.

Here are some of my takeaway tips – I’d love to hear yours, too!

Curb the Morning Sickness: My biggest morning sickness ‘cures’ included French fries, Sea-bands (which work by putting pressure on an acupuncture point), and essential oils (especially Mandarin orange, the scent of which chased away the nausea.  I also felt a lot worse when I was running on little sleep, so I was sure to book flights that were conducive to later wake-ups and hotel naps.

Spring for Direct: Even when I’m not pregnant, it takes a lot for me to choose a flight with a layover – as in, several hundred dollars of savings. But during the first and third trimester, I was much more likely to spring for direct regardless of cost.

Know Airline Policies: You may be surprised to know that you can travel on airplanes even when you’re far along in your pregnancy. Many airlines have zero flight restrictions and others let you fly up to 37 – 39 weeks (your due date is at 40 weeks), and only some require a doctor’s note if you want to fly at 39 weeks. At 35 weeks, no one batted an eye at my belly (well, at least in terms of whether I was still good to fly – pretty much EVERY I spoke to talked about how uber pregnant I was!).

Obviously, no woman wants to go into labor away from home (or in the air!). But for people who must travel for work or a personal emergency, it’s not always an option to stay home just because you’re in the third trimester. I had lots of in-depth conversations with my midwife before booking my later flights about my ‘odds’ of going into labor early; in the end, I felt comfortable with the relatively low risk of going into labor early (hey, there are hospitals everywhere!). I also made all my clients aware of the fact that I might’ve canceled at the last minute if I didn’t feel comfortable getting on the plane – everyone understood!

Move a Lot: Whether you’re on a plane or in a car, it’s important to move regularly (to prevent discomfort, swelling, or dangerous blood clots). I tried to get up several times during all my flights.

Know Security Screening Choices:  The ‘official line’ is that it’s perfectly fine to go through metal detectors and backscatter machines.  In fact, I’ve read you’re exposed to more radiation in the air than going through the machines.  Despite this, I get kind of squirrely about the machines during the first trimester and usually ask to be patted down – if I have the time!  I tend to show up at the airport with almost no time to spare and find myself rushing through security.  Besides a few extra minutes, the pats downs are no big deal, and I can tell the staff is especially used to this request from pregnant women – so don’t be shy!

Speaking of radiation, you may have heard that flight attendants have a slighter higher risk of miscarriage during the first trimester, but studies are unclear on the exact cause.  I tended to worry about this more with my first pregnancy (because I flew more in the first trimester then), but that was probably a bit silly.  Remember – it’s nice to have a panic-free pregnancy!

Dress Comfy: My "uniform" for late pregnancy travel was sneakers, stretchy maternity cargo pants, a cotton t-shirt, and a light jacket. It didn’t look great, but it sure was comfortable, and that was all that mattered!

Stay Hydrated and Fueled: I always bring a water bottle (for free water at water fountains!) and snacks (like whole fruit, nuts, and bars) when traveling, but it was more important than ever when pregnant.

Wash Your Hands:  Your immune system is already a bit suppressed during pregnancy, so it’s extra important to wash your hands regularly to ward off illness.  There are also a ton of great ideas on the HTP Facebook page on how to stay well when traveling!

The upshot? I think, like so many things, traveling during pregnancy is a choice that moms need to make for themselves. There are so many factors at play, including your individual pregnancy, where you’re traveling to, and why you’re traveling. I probably wouldn’t have hopped on a plane at 35 weeks pregnant for a tropical vacation (although I really would’ve liked to!), but it made sense to go for work.

(The awesome group of women I spoke to about Operation Beautiful on Monday night!)

You  may also be interested in Traveling {Alone} While Breastfeeding, a FAQ-kind of post on pumping in airports (my favorite thing ever – just kiddddding).

Happy Wednesday!  Can you believe October is almost over?!  I certainly can’t.  I’m excited for the upcoming weekend, too.  I’m ready for it to be Friday.

Breakfast before dropping Henry off at preschool:

Eggs

Grapes

Toaster GF waffles with Pumpkin Pie Cream Cheese Dip

Speaking of time flying, you should see how fast the hours tick away when Henry is at school!  There’s always so much I want to do (including laying on the couch, hah) and never enough time.  My first errand of the morning was a trip to the grocery store.  Then I went to a prenatal appointment.

Verdict:  everything is good and normal.  Baby is HEAD DOWN but legs are firmly in my side.  Maybe this kiddo will be a tall one?! 

Then, I got my vote on.  Very grateful that I was alone – the line was long and it took 30 minutes to vote. 

Got my “I voted” sticker!!! <— so very motivating, right? 

Came home and had breakfast #2:

And now I’m chatting with you!  <3

The Thermostat Wars

I used to post funnily-serious-but-not-actually-serious debate topics on the blog all the time (there’s a round up list at the end of the post), but haven’t for a while.  Well, I finally thought of a good topic – the thermostat wars!

The Husband and I argue about very little.  But one major bone of contention in our marriage is the thermostat.  I swear, we’ve argued about the thermostat every fall and every spring for the last decade. 

I do not like a warm house.  I would rather be chilly and pull on fleece sweats and a hoodie than turn up the thermostat.  Especially at night – a warm bedroom at night is a killer.

The Husband hates the cold.  He wants to be able to walk around in minimal clothes and be toasty warm, even when it’s chilly outside.  He hates to be cold at night or to put on the ceiling fan.

So – as you can imagine, there’s a constant battle over the thermostat.  He puts it to HEAT, and I sneak downstairs and turn it back to COOL.  Or I coincide the HEAT setting but punch down the numbers… only to notice the next day that they’ve crept back up!  Hah.  It’s actually pretty comical.

Then, every year, we both start sending each other Internet articles to “back up” our claims (mine is that we save “soooo much mooooney” even by changing it a degree or two and his is that constantly forcing the heat to come on instead of just keeping it level burns up the cash).  We even enlisted the opinion of our HVAC guy – he said that it really just depends on the temperature in the house, the house itself, the temperature outside, etc.  And trust me – you can find articles supporting your “side” either way online, so I think unless you’re talking extremes either way, there’s no clear cut “right” answer. 

Do you feel strongly about the temperature, too? Are you involved in a thermostat war?  Who is winning? 

Other fun little controversies:

The Case of the Sexy Halloween Costume

The Only Child

Do Personal Records Ever Expire?

Women’s Only Races: No Men Allowed?

Who are the Hardest Working Athletes?

The Hand Sanitizer Debate

Do Dogs Belong in Bed?

Locker Room Nekkidness

The Shower Curtain Debate

The Grey Area: Are Marshmallows Vegetarian?

The Race Shirt Debate

The Great Stinky Workout Clothes Debate

The Bib Transfer/Race Bandit Debate

The Dog Poop Debate <— still my favorite, hah.