A "Chili" Saturday...

It will probably be a shorter post today....early appointment + catching up with friend + resume writing all day = verge of falling asleep at my computer desk. Who knew being unemployed could be so exhausting? This is the single biggest challenge in my healthy living project over the past little while: not finding enough hours in the day to make/prepare/cook new healthy foods AND hit the gym 3-4 times a week, while also taking care of all of life's other responsibilities. I'm currently wrapped up in a whole whack of other quarter-life-esque engagements, like volunteering, catching up on appointments, looking for employment (via constant job board prowling, networking and resume writing), and (considering) starting to study for my OT registration exam. Overextended much? Perhaps...but then again, I've always liked being busy, so I guess the solution is this: I need to learn the art of budgeting my time more wisely. Preparing fresh breakfasts, lunches and dinners every day may not be entirely realistic as an ongoing lifestyle...so I need to start getting creative about how to be healthy efficiently! Will update on my progress there sometime soon...

A couple of updates from the past few days though. First of all, my cousin was over on the weekend, and she bore gifts of healthy goodness: spices from bulk barn.

 Rosemary, oregano, cumin, chili powder now grace my spice cupboard (which prior to the addition of these spices could not validly be CALLED a spice cupboard, since the single containers of black pepper and garlic salt looked incredibly lonely in there). So I was incredibly excited to learn that she had brought along these little baggies of goodies. She also brought along a bag of a vegetarian protein-substitute which can be used in the place of meat, which we used in the chili we cooked up together for lunch on Saturday (and chili proved to be an ironically appropriate meal choice for that day, given the freezing weather...touche.) Anyway, it turned out delicious. And now I have a basis of knowledge in what spices go where, which is a relief since it was always like speaking another language to me before...

Also, a quick update from the fitness side of things: I can proudly say that I have been hitting the gym regularly so far, doing the recommended 2 times/week of strength training and 1-2 times/week of cardio. It's DEFINITELY involved quite a lifestyle change trying to keep up with all that, because it really is a huge time commitment...but it also feels fabulous and empowering. So watch out, bodybuilding competitions involving too much spray tan...here I come! (All right, not exactly....being on the right track is plenty good enough.)

Anyway, the next couple of days will be hectic as heck too... another host of appointments and engagements tomorrow, and then the next day is the day of the provincial election, which will be completely spoken for as I'm volunteering from 9am-6pm to help our local NDP candidate bring home the bacon! And by bacon, I mean...salad. At least, that's what I'll be hopefully bringing home from somewhere to consume in between all of this to-do stuff....

Until next time,
Janine