I decided that for 2017 I’d occasionally sprinkle a few updates of my life outside the kitchen into the blog. Here’s my first one.
The year started out pretty big for me because I turned 40! It’s still sort of hard to believe. Most days I feel like I’m still that young whippersnapper that I used to be and I guess that’s a good thing. My mantra for my 40s is “Be Fabulous” and I’m trying to incorporate that into all aspects of my life.
Turning 40 has made me more aware of taking care of myself so like millions of other people, I began an effort to eat healthier, exercise more, and lose some weight at the beginning of the year. So far, I’m down about 9 pounds which I’ll gladly take. Because I love to eat, my healthy choices have to be tasty or I won’t stick with it so I’ve been doing a lot of weekend meal prepping to make sure that I have good options. Having my workday breakfast and lunches ready to go has been huge in helping me stay on track.
The weather here in Kentucky has been crazy. We’ve had no snow and a week in February of very Spring-y weather with highs reaching the 70s. My son was loving it and we went outside every evening after we got home from work/daycare. He was also playing outside at daycare a lot and was going to bed at night and falling asleep as soon his head hit the pillow. He was wore out! It was hard not to get spring fever even though we know consistent warm weather is probably still a little ways away. I was ready to start planting flowers and sprucing up my deck space. I almost felt nostalgic for winter. Almost.
Anyone who knows me knows how much I love to read. I started the year finishing off Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle which was a stocking stuffer from my husband. I was/am pretty Downton obsessed and he bought me several Downton inspired gifts. This book tells part of the history of the Highclere Castle where Downton was filmed and the story of the real family that lived there. It was very interesting and since I’d finished The Crown over Christmas break and started Victoria in January, it kept me in a British frame of mind. Next up was The Woman in Cabin 10, a mystery thriller that I totally flew through and highly recommend. I’d never heard of The Nest until I stumbled across it in the library. It’s a family drama about four siblings and their dependence upon an inheritance that falls flat. I loved it too. I’ve just started on Eligible-a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in Cincinnati. So far, it’s wonderful! Maybe 2017 will be the year of great reads.
I mentioned Victoria earlier. I am not a big television watcher. I wasn’t sure I would like Victoria but I did. PBS followed up most episodes with a documentary of some sort related to the monarchy and I watched a few of those too. Maybe it’s a sign of my old age but I’m totally digging PBS these days. One of my goals for the new year was that my husband and I would find a show that we could watch together. We used to watch a lot of tv together but after our son was born that changed with the exception of always making time for a new Big Bang Theory. But now that Baby Boy is older, it’s a little easier to sit down and watch something. The problem is that I’ve grown tired of most of the shows that we used to watch and if given the chance to relax, I’d rather read. He suggested that we watch Lethal Weapon. I rolled my eyes because I’ve never seen the movies so why would I like the show? He asked that I give it a chance so I did. And I love it! I actually look forward to finding time to watch it each week. We’ve also started watching Superior Donuts. The pilot was really funny and the follow up was pretty good so I think it has potential.
All in all, the new year has treated me pretty well. How about you?