Soaking it all in...

The weather has been gorgeous here this week! The sunshine and warmth is really good for the soul, you know? Since the baby and I have been trapped indoors for the last several weeks, it's been amazing for us to finally get outside.

The meal plan is going relatively well. Some unexpected things happened - like we had some surprise visitors yesterday afternoon, and the baby has come down with ANOTHER cold (her 3rd or 4th one this winter!) which threw things for a bit of a loop. But for the most part, I've been trying hard to stick to it. If I didn't have it, I probably would have sabotaged the rest of the week and resolved to "start fresh" next week. I'm really glad I have it!

Exercise has been decent too. I haven't done any of the C25K sessions yet this week, because the baby and I have been going on these wonderful, long walks outside. And let me tell you, it is some hard work pushing a stroller around, let alone all of the extra weight that I'm carrying! I wonder how many extra calories that burns, lol! Unfortunately, the weather is supposed to go all clammy-cold again, so I'll resume my C25K tonight on the old dreadmill.

Since I've been on maternity leave, I've been watching some pretty bad television. What can I say? Sometimes, I just need to pass the time while I'm feeding the baby. Anyway, I was watching Rachael Ray a few weeks ago, and she made this delicious Winter Vegetable Stew. It's chalk-full of vegetables and protein, and is very hearty. I attempted the recipe shortly thereafter, and it was soooo yummy. That's what I'm making for dinner tonight, except this time, I'm going to serve it up on brown rice. I also found this delicious recipe for banana bread on this vegan blog. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks delicious! It's been modified so that it's low fat, and there's also whole-wheat flour in it to add some fibre. I'm making it for my hubby, and will only have a small piece this weekend. The bananas are ripening as I type!

And finally, I snuck a quick peak at the scale this morning, and I'm down a pound. I'd like to make that two by Monday, but I don't want to get all over-ambitious on myself. If I can maintain that loss over the weekend, I'll be very happy!

***
One afternoon this week, after a long walk with the baby in the sunshine, I stopped at Starbucks for a sugar-free, non-fat, Hazelnut latte (!). As I was leaving, I noticed there was an empty spot on the patio. I looked down nervously at the baby - would she start freaking out if I stopped pushing her around? Shouldn't I really get home? But I decided, to heck with it, and grabbed the spot.

The sun felt amazing on my face, and I felt really warm and good. I looked onto the busy street, at all of the people hustling and bustling by. I watched all the cars going by, with windows rolled down and loud music blaring. I stared down at my beautiful daughter, whose eyes were all squinty and face all scrunched up from the sun, yet she was still asleep. And I sat there for half an hour, soaking it all in. The big revelation for me, was that I never do that. I never take the time to appreciate my neighbourhood, and relax on a patio with a nice warm drink cradled in my hands. I'm always going somewhere, always walking with a purpose, always trying to get things done as quickly as possible. It was really great, and I vowed to myself that I'd do it more often.

When was the last time that you stopped to smell the roses?