Category Archives: health
Autumn Balm
My sister-in-law agrees with me that when the stress builds, a walk in amongst nature soothes your soul. She has three boys under five, so I’m glad for her sanity that she lives on the beautiful island of Arran. Until we can get over to visit, the leafy Glasgow parks are doing a great job of lowering my blood pressure. This morning, with Rod unexpectedly working all day, I took the wee man and I off to Pollok Park for a wander in the woodlands. Autumn has been stunning this year, I’ve been Instagramming my socks off (follow me at kimmca), but today I took my proper camera and reveled in shooting all the wonderful warm colours as the trees prepare for winter. The wee man pointed and shouted and watched entranced as I shook leaves down over the buggy. We are definitely feeling reinvigorated.
You may also enjoy this post: Mother and Son Time
Filed under Glasgow, health, hello World
Going with the flow
The smoke alarm has just gone off.
It’s 12.50pm, I’m drying my hair in the living room and ignoring the chatter from a little man who’s supposed to be napping upstairs. He’ll never sleep now, but instead of mentally rearranging my day I’m deciding that’s just tough. I’m trying this new thing, you see, called ‘going with the flow’.
At Buggyfit this morning two friends and I were discussing how we pack everything in. One’s starting swimming classes after a morning Gymboree session; the other already does swimming classes and wants to do an extra Buggyfit session in the morning, but can’t figure out how to squeeze in naptime. None of us had quite figured out how the new, later, Buggyfit start time of 10am is going to affect The Routine. One had had to wake her boy from an early nap and I had had to lay out my clothes for after my shower and prepare lunch before we even left to make up for the half hour we’d lose after the class.
It’s ridiculous.
If you’re reading this as a parent you’ll get it, if you’re reading this as a single you probably won’t. Because it’s ridiculous. When did I become the woman who dries her hair in the living room at lunchtime? But I have been driven to this craziness by the fact that the wee man needs a nap before he goes to the afternoon session at nursery and I need to wash after my morning exercise and make myself presentable for work in the afternoon. So this is how I do it. I’ve eaten my lunch with the wee man at 11.45 so that I can use naptime to get myself organised. And blog. Yeah, I’m totally going with the flow.
Working Mum’s Guilt
I have a confession to make. I don’t…really…cook for the wee man. I mean, I make him scrambled eggs and spaghetti hoops on toast and fish fingers and stuff, but I don’t cook meals from scratch. At all. Some of my mummy friends put me to shame with tales of Sundays spent cooking up a storm and portioning into freezer bags ready for the week. I don’t do that. I used to cook and puree sweet potato and carrot and stuff, but when it got to the proper meals stage I just… stopped. I didn’t have time. I don’t have time. I’m running a business and raising a child and hoping my husband gets home from work before 7pm and doesn’t have too many nights away this week – so really Ella’s Kitchen pouches and Hipp Organic jars have been my saviour.
Not any more.
Last night, while ordering the online shop, I pulled out the Annabel Karmel book (the one I hid cos it was making me feel inadequate) and diligently added all the ingredients to my list. I even learned a new word: Passata. Yes I know you’ve probably heard of it. My smart-arse sister scoffed and informed me mum has two jars in the cupboard at all times. Well, I’ve made it almost to my 30th birthday without knowing what it was. Now I’m thinking, hmmm, I should have two jars in the cupboard at all times.
My husband is on jury service this week (a huge inconvenience for him but a boon for me, as he’s home at 5pm) so I took advantage of the unexpected childcare to do some chopping. It looked kind of small there on the board, so I decided to double up all the ingredients. If I was going to portion and freeze I might as well make a whole load. Of course I then forgot I was doubling up and panicked when I found half a sweet potato hiding behind the coffee machine. But I figured, hell, it’s getting pureed at the end anyway, I’ll just fling it in. I even washed lentils, something else I’ve never done as I’ve always been scared off by their after-effects.
Thirty minutes later, with Rod sniffing appreciatively and asking when dinner would be ready (eh, in like an hour) I lifted the lid and saw orange. Why is all baby food orange? It’s a bugger to get off their faces and out of their clothes. A wee bit was stuck to the bottom – in my head I used the puree excuse again – grated in twice as much cheese and blended. I tasted some of the burnt bits and they were gooooood! I think the wee man’s going to enjoy his lunch and dinner for the next week.
Voila! Lentil & vegetable puree
(Wait – what? He can’t have the same thing for every meal? I need to go and cook some more? Hand me that butternut squash!)
2012 and the Turning Point
I was on my first walk with the pram joyously uncovered by plastic today, when I passed the beautician, stopped, reversed and made an appointment for a Saturday morning pedicure.
I can’t remember the last time I did something so impulsive for myself – I’ve been my own lowest priority for a year now. That sounds pathetic – I don’t mean it like that – I just wondered why I was so excited about booking a pedi, and that’s what occurred to me. I’ve realised that 2011 really was the year when my body and I took a break from each other.
January to March were the last – and most uncomfortable- months of my pregnancy. I just rotated the same seven outfits and accepted I couldn’t rush around as usual. The wee man’s appearance on March 28 was actually a wonderful experience and gave me real respect for my body, but for the next five months I was breast feeding – and all the kerfuffle that entails.
Then it was September, I was back to work and trying to figure out how the hell to balance it all. Buggy Bootcamp began at the end of October and then, mid-December, I had The Weigh-In.
I suppose it wasn’t until January 3rd, the day of the Great Wardrobe Clearout, that I realised my body and I were reunited. The defining moment was slipping into my pre-pregnancy skinny jeans. I say slipping because the zipper actually fastened easier than it had in June 2010. I’m not ashamed to tell you I jumped on the bed then bounced down the stairs to squeak at Rod that I was back! I have managed to hold off the Christmas/New Year poundage and I can begin the new year with the beautiful cliché of a new me.
Filed under health
Buggy Bootcamp – THE RESULT!
Through rain, snow and Hurricane Bawbag I have been in the park for my twice-weekly Buggy Bootcamp sessions.
For the last six weeks I have followed a strict diet plan. No takeaways, no cakes, no booze, low carbs. Mostly. In the interests of full disclosure I have to admit to a few lapses:
•one drunken night – on gin & slim at least
*one half of a Lindt bunny eaten – thanks to Rod for charitably eating the other half
*one Chinese carryout – there was b*gger all in the house and it was 8.30pm
*two slices of banoffi pie – (two different days) at my mother-in-law’s, a woman you cannot refuse!
Our final session was on a sunshiney day, which made a nice change. Wendy was on a mission though – the hill runs were back in the routine, only this time we had to do FOUR instead of three and straight into press-ups in between, no breaks. A quick drink and we were off again, jogging to the next station for lunges, squats and – you’re kidding right – another hill run? But we had to continue up all the steps at the top? Twice? That’s that Lindt bunny taken care of, no probs.
I thought I’d feel triumph and relief and all sorts when we finished our last stretches – but actually I felt like I’d just started something. I’m going to keep going to Buggyfit twice a week. I feel amazing. I’m sleeping better. I’m worrying less. I’m full of energy and I feel good about myself. I knew before the weigh-in that I’ve reaped the benefits, so I wasn’t too hung up on the final figures. But I was very pleasantly surprised…
I have lost seven pounds!
I have lost three inches from my waist and an inch from each upper arm. My legs have stayed the same.
So thank you Wendy for coming up with a cunning plan to keep us all dedicated through the horrendous weather. I’ve really enjoyed it. In fact, I did my own little Buggyfit session in the park this morning. Here’s to a fitter 2012!
Filed under health
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