I haven’t jumped on to post lately, but not for any real reason. Perhaps I’ve been inspired by my own social media break to do more inward thinking and less outward broadcasting. I have thought about whether or not I should continue to blog, a question I have considered as numerous intervals in the past. I do feel that as the kids get older, I will be sharing less of them for privacy reasons. But I still have motivations to express myself and — well — talk about me. I like the outlet for self-expression, and I like writing my way through problems — often the answer becomes clear to me by the end of my own post, but the feedback is still welcome and valuable. I also enjoy sharing my experiences as a full-time (or close to full-time) working mother. I don’t feel that the demographic of WOH-parents are proportionally represented on the blogosphere and I do like to be part of that conversation.
So, yeah. Guess I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.
Goings-on as of late:
Running: I am still doing it, though not training for anything right now. And I’ve noticed some pyriformis pain creeping up on me so . . .yeah. I think maybe not cross-training (at ALL!) for the past 3 months has taken its toll, and replacing my sneakers with probably 1000 miles on them should help too. You’d think I’d know better about all this but . . . when you’re injury free, it’s so easy to forget about injury prevention!
Technology & Distraction: Getting off of IG for the past month was a good move. I was too addicted. The more I get away from scrolling, the better I feel. I’m a moderator when it comes to food but I may be an abstainer when it comes to other things. Like . . .addictive apps.
Speaking of food: I really really tried to go more plant-based. I greatly respect those of you who are vegan or vegetarian for sustainability reasons. But my n=1 experiment failed, I had stomach pain and bloating and gained like 3-4 lbs in just a month. I just didn’t find beans/tofu/grains to be satiating for me, leading to a) more snacking b) more sugar and most of all c) MORE (too many) CARBS. I really think it is better for the earth to consume less meat, but I don’t think I’m ready to turn ‘less’ into ‘zero’. I’m back to my moderator ways although we’re planning in ~2 vegetarian or vegan dinners weekly (which we also take as leftovers for lunch). And I plan on working on optimizing the sources of our animal products (currently we buy organic / Whole Foods, but I need to find out of there are better local options, or if perhaps ordering frozen from a reputable source might make more sense).
Books/media: Currently in the middle of Hillbilly Elegy and The Paris Architect (for book club). I watched all of Season 2 of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Josh and I are enjoying Big Little Lies. One of my favorite bands released a new album (Real Estate – “In Mind”) and I have enjoyed the coverage of SXSW. Honestly, since lowering my social media consumption and scroll-time I’ve had a lot more time for other things, and it’s been great. It’s amazing how I have to FORCE myself not to double-device (scroll while watching TV – gross) but when I focus my full attention on things it’s so much better.
I’m on call but up to day 5/7 and not too stressed out, so that’s good too!
* I’ve been off Instagram since Mar 1 and my FB account remains deactivated since Feb of 2016. I don’t use other forms of social media unless you count blogs. I do want to go back to Instagram eventually but . . not yet.
mother of 3 // MD // south floridian // ESFJ // upholder.
into: planners, great food, running, reading, writing, mornings, podcasting, and coffee.
11 Comments
It doesn’t seem to me that you share too much or even much about A and C–this feels like your space to work through happy/sad/hard/great things and I think all of your readers appreciate it. You are honest in a way that most people aren’t on the internet, I’m grateful for your blog!
Hi there 🙂 I’m responding to all parts of your post :
FWIW I don’t think you share too much about A+C, it seems reasonable because you particularly focus on how parenting is part of your daily routine and how you plan out your weekends, so anything you do share is relevant, yet general. And I don’t think you’ll embarrass them!
We have found that the best way to feel satisfied when eating vegetarian meals is to cook with more fat. So, no Fat Free Vegan recipes at our house! Lots of butter/coconut oil/tahini/olive oil go into our vegetarian meals. We also tend to gravitate toward recipes that incorporate that all too important umami flavor (through soy sauce, parmesan cheese, or tahini),and some spice, to round out the flavor profile. You’ll find the right balance for you and your family – it takes time to find out what works for your preferences and goals!
I think I’m on the same media train as you. I read Hillbilly Elegy last year and discussed it in book club in January. At home, we finished Crazy Ex-Girlfriend in January and are also enjoying Big Little Lies! I agree though, about the scrolling while watching TV. I don’t understand my impulse to do this!
I always get piriformis pain when I do a lot of squats in addition to running, so i have to remember to foam roll and stretch my quads.
I do agree that there is a dearth of WOH parent blogs so I truly appreciate your take on this stuff! I am in a book club that is only for working moms, and I have to say it is really great to be in a group of women who have that in common.
I think this reply was quite long, perhaps I should have sent you an email 🙂
You could get a lot of short posts out of quick book reviews! I’m curious to hear what you think of Hillbilly Elegy. I read it in January. It’s a good book, but I also think the author got extremely lucky on timing.
What about trying "meat-lite" recipes that incorporate small amounts of meat with other proteins like eggs, beans or lentils? Chili is an obvious example, but there are others (Pinch of Yum has a cliantro lime chicken w/lentil recipe I saw on instagram last week that looks good:
I find the recipes from other cultures (Chinese, Indian, Mexican) have a lot of recipes that combine small amounts of meat with (cheaper) proteins like beans or legumes.
Personally, we eat vegetarian 3-4 days/week, but those days tend to be heavy on the cheese or fats (as mentioned in a comment above). Those will also be the days that we opt for heavier starches – I always serve veggie burgers with roast potato wedges, for example, but salmon burgers or beef burgers are eaten with salad.
You CANNOT leave us!! I have followed your blog since my intern year in peds. I love the way you write and like somebody else above mentioned, you keep it REAL. You don’t know how many lives you are touching with your writing, this can be a little bit selfish on my end, but I enjoy every single one of your posts and have learned about authors, books, receipes, even Endo stuff through your blog. Keep it going! On the vegetarian/eating less meat issue, I was born and raised in Argentina and don’t eat any red meat (go figure) but not for ethical reasons more because I just don’t like it. Period. I tend to eat more vegetarian dishes but also listen to what my body craves and wants, so if I want chicken, I will have it. I think its my body’s own way of keeping that internal " homeostasis" .
Anyway, I am all about moderation, INCLUDING moderation.
I hope you continue blogging. I came across your blog because I was looking for Hobonivhi reviews several years ago, but to my delight, your blog actually satisfied a greater need. Like many of your readers, I was connected deeply as a WOHM. C and my son are about the same age and I deeply appreciate your perspectives on parenting, time, work,etc. More importantly, I appreciate that you share YOU, a reminder that I also need to cultivate my personal self and not be lost in motherhood, career, etc.
Your blog has inspired me to be more mindful, to not give up on my desire to thrive as a professional AND be an engaged mother. You are made me more conscientious about my health and the elements that make life good. Your posts have comforted me as well, telling me that I am not alone. Even recently, I came back to your blog after feeling depressed and found your post from a few weeks past. I so deeply appreciated your honesty and reading other readers comments. It activated me to seek help.
So, THANK YOU! Thank you for writing. Thank you for being honest and real. Thank you for the good you have inspired and will inspire in my life. Blessings to you!
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