A year ago, my husband and I went to a counselor. We were having trouble coping with life as adults with a child among other issues. Growing up we're taught to focus on our future career, getting married, making babies, and that's about it. But what do you do when you already have those things? I had the house, the job, the husband and kid, etc... now what?
One of the things that the counselor talked about is setting goals. In one study, a bunch of people who claimed to be happy with their lives were questioned. The one thing they all had in common -- they set goals. After I got out of school, I was just floating through life aimlessly. I need goals to keep me focused, to keep me feeling like I'm a person outside of my family and career. So in the grand tradition of New Year's Day, I make resolutions. But I like to call them goals. I don't like New Year's resolutions, no one ever keeps them. But Free Range Hubby and I make our New Year's goal setting a formal process. We sit down over dinner, and write them down. Then they go on the fridge for everyone to see. Even the cleaning lady knows that it was my goal to get a promotion at work this year (which I did, by the way). We even make goals for Free Range Bennett.
Last year was one of the best years for me, so maybe there is something to this whole goal setting thing. It's awesome to be able to look at last year's list and see what we've accomplished.
For 2012, my first goal is a biggie. No shopping at Walmart. Especially difficult since I work there once a month. I'm just tired of the rude employees, the rude customers, they're always out of stock on stuff, or they just don't carry what I need to begin with. We already do most of our grocery shopping at Kroger anyway. When you clip coupons, Kroger is almost always cheaper than Walmart - and usually better quality. If I consistently got bad service anywhere else, I would stop going. Why should Walmart be any different?
I also want to read at least one book a month in 2012. I miss reading. So I figure if I write it down as a formal goal, I'll make it more of a priority. I read The Help recently and found myself thinking of the characters when I wasn't reading. And when I finished the book I missed the characters like they were old friends I hadn't seen in a while. I love when books do that to me. I don't have my first book picked out yet, I usually just go to the bookstore and browse the shelves until something jumps out at me.
Also, a colleague and I were talking about becoming board certified ambulatory care specialists. That basically involves paying a lot of money and taking this big scary test. And I thought I was done studying..... I guess it's going on the list, but I'm not too enthusiastic about this one.
And as always, I'm trying to rely less on processed foods. This goal isn't really measurable, so it's not going on the list. But in my mind it's near the top of the list.
As for Free Range Bennett, I think his goal will be to use the potty. Crap, I'm dreading this one! I really don't want to force the issue, but he's already starting to show signs he's ready. Everything else with him was so easy, I just fear this potty training this is going to give us trouble.
I haven't talked to Free Range Hubby about his goals yet. But I'm looking forward to hearing about them and making them official! Happy New Year everyone!
Friday, December 30, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Simple Healthy Snacks
No Bake Energy Bites
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1/3 cup honey
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
Mix all ingredients together and place in fridge for a couple of hours until firm. Then roll into balls and store in container. It's good in the fridge for up to a week, if they last that long. I'm thinking these can be frozen too.
Yummy!
Next time, I'll use less flax though. Flax tastes like a cross between paper and dirt. Most of the other flavors mask the flax/dirt/paper taste, but occasionally I get a bit of flax taste.
I actually ate mine for breakfast with a skinny vanilla latte. I wasn't hungry all morning!
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1/3 cup honey
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
Mix all ingredients together and place in fridge for a couple of hours until firm. Then roll into balls and store in container. It's good in the fridge for up to a week, if they last that long. I'm thinking these can be frozen too.
Yummy!
Next time, I'll use less flax though. Flax tastes like a cross between paper and dirt. Most of the other flavors mask the flax/dirt/paper taste, but occasionally I get a bit of flax taste.
I actually ate mine for breakfast with a skinny vanilla latte. I wasn't hungry all morning!
Free Range Mama
A little about myself:
I'm 30 years old, a pharmacist, wife, and mother of the most energetic toddler on the planet.
I love being 30. I look forward to the wisdom that comes with age.
My career and I, however, have a roller-coaster type of relationship. Some days it's great. I feel so fortunate to be able to help so many people, blah blah blah. Some days I hate it. For now, the good outweighs the bad. But that could change at any moment really.
Free Range Hubby and I have been together since we were 19. We got married when we were 24, and life just seems to get better and better. Like all marriages, our relationship is not perfect, but we work on it all the time. We realize that having a great marriage is hard work and it's worth working for.
Free Range Bennett is my 19 month old little boy. He is one big ball of energy, happiness, HUNGER, and love all wrapped up into a 24 pound creature that I get to call mine. I never pictured myself as the mothering type, but it's easy with him. He is the exact child that I was supposed to have.
As for me, I'm always working toward one goal or another. I have a unique parenting style that my best friend has described as "free-range parenting." I read a lot of parenting books and articles, and have formed my own methods to raising our child. So far, it's worked out pretty well. I just want to raise a healthy, confident, and independent young man. No, we don't let our child run wild in pastures. But we do give him room to make his own mistakes and learn from them. We don't tell him to do anything without giving him a reason why he should or shouldn't do it. We understand he is an energetic toddler, and try to develop that energy into something positive. We talk to him like he's a human being. Something fantastic I read the other day: How do you deal with a toddler that likes to climb on everything? Teach him how to get down. That pretty much summarizes my parenting style. I'll be writing A LOT about this topic - stay tuned.
I'm moderately granola - we'll call it chewy granola. I recycle, reuse whatever I can, etc. But let's face it, I'm busy. I realize I don't have time to do everything. But everyone has the time to do SOMETHING.
I'm also really into the concept of clean eating. Working in the healthcare industry, I see what the American lifestyle has done to us. In a lot of my patients, over 50% of the medications they take are something that could have been prevented with a little healthy eating and physical activity. It's sad, really. I believe our bodies just haven't adapted to all the chemicals in processed foods. I wish people cared more about what they put in their bodies.
Years ago, I read "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan. Two words: Life. Changing. Now I try to eat as minimally-processed foods possible. With the exception of Diet Coke. I just can't kick that habit. After reading that book, I went on this mission to have NO processed foods at all. That came to a quick end when we spent $14 buying ingredients to make ONE can of pasta sauce. This blog is largely going to be about my daily attempts to find balance between whole foods and processed foods. This is the thing I struggle with on a daily basis. How do you work, keep a clean home, spend quality time with your family, find a little time for yourself, get healthy food on the table, and still get sleep at night?
Balance.
Join me as I continue my quest for balance.
I'm 30 years old, a pharmacist, wife, and mother of the most energetic toddler on the planet.
I love being 30. I look forward to the wisdom that comes with age.
My career and I, however, have a roller-coaster type of relationship. Some days it's great. I feel so fortunate to be able to help so many people, blah blah blah. Some days I hate it. For now, the good outweighs the bad. But that could change at any moment really.
Free Range Hubby and I have been together since we were 19. We got married when we were 24, and life just seems to get better and better. Like all marriages, our relationship is not perfect, but we work on it all the time. We realize that having a great marriage is hard work and it's worth working for.
Free Range Bennett is my 19 month old little boy. He is one big ball of energy, happiness, HUNGER, and love all wrapped up into a 24 pound creature that I get to call mine. I never pictured myself as the mothering type, but it's easy with him. He is the exact child that I was supposed to have.
As for me, I'm always working toward one goal or another. I have a unique parenting style that my best friend has described as "free-range parenting." I read a lot of parenting books and articles, and have formed my own methods to raising our child. So far, it's worked out pretty well. I just want to raise a healthy, confident, and independent young man. No, we don't let our child run wild in pastures. But we do give him room to make his own mistakes and learn from them. We don't tell him to do anything without giving him a reason why he should or shouldn't do it. We understand he is an energetic toddler, and try to develop that energy into something positive. We talk to him like he's a human being. Something fantastic I read the other day: How do you deal with a toddler that likes to climb on everything? Teach him how to get down. That pretty much summarizes my parenting style. I'll be writing A LOT about this topic - stay tuned.
I'm moderately granola - we'll call it chewy granola. I recycle, reuse whatever I can, etc. But let's face it, I'm busy. I realize I don't have time to do everything. But everyone has the time to do SOMETHING.
I'm also really into the concept of clean eating. Working in the healthcare industry, I see what the American lifestyle has done to us. In a lot of my patients, over 50% of the medications they take are something that could have been prevented with a little healthy eating and physical activity. It's sad, really. I believe our bodies just haven't adapted to all the chemicals in processed foods. I wish people cared more about what they put in their bodies.
Years ago, I read "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan. Two words: Life. Changing. Now I try to eat as minimally-processed foods possible. With the exception of Diet Coke. I just can't kick that habit. After reading that book, I went on this mission to have NO processed foods at all. That came to a quick end when we spent $14 buying ingredients to make ONE can of pasta sauce. This blog is largely going to be about my daily attempts to find balance between whole foods and processed foods. This is the thing I struggle with on a daily basis. How do you work, keep a clean home, spend quality time with your family, find a little time for yourself, get healthy food on the table, and still get sleep at night?
Balance.
Join me as I continue my quest for balance.
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