Cracker chat
LITTLE SIS: I can’t believe you might have a person in you in seven weeks.
ME: I know. I keep thinking about morning sickness. My books make it sound really horrible.
LITTLE SIS: Really?
ME: Yeah, and that some women can’t eat anything without throwing it up, so they just have to eat crackers all the time.
LITTLE SIS: That’d be sweet. I love crackers.
ME: Hey, actually — I do, too!
LITTLE SIS: I could eat them all day.
ME: Hmm. Maybe it won’t be so bad then …
Recipe review: Spinach Strawberry Salad
So on our new-and-improved weekly Date Night, I made the Spinach Strawberry Salad from my Eating Well When You’re Expecting book.
It was a very spur-of-the-moment decision. I was flipping through the book while I cooked the burgers, and realized we actually had the ingredients to make it. Like I could just open the fridge and make it.
SIDENOTE: That never happens with recipes, because I am the world’s pickiest girl — and do not own most normal ingredients. Other than green onion.
So I threw it together excitedly — because hey, when you never follow a recipe unless it’s on the back of the Hamburger Helper box, it’s pretty cool. Even though I am not a salad girl, and it was really yummy. Even Darling Husband ate it, which is huge — he’s definitely a meat guy.
I won’t post the full recipe — because I highly recommend you buy the book, and I don’t particularly want to get sued — but it’s not a tricky recipe. Baby spinach, sliced strawberries, and almonds — plus a drizzling of vinegar, canola oil and brown sugar. Mmmmm.
My next mission? Oh, you knew it was coming …
Yup, I bought it. I have NO IDEA how these weird mini-pearl-shaped things are going to taste, but there are at least three recipes in my new fave book, and I’m going to try one of them. Pray for me!
It’s all about me
Lindsay over at Musings of the Mrs. just did this fun MEME question thingy, and I was all over it. I think all of my words were dying to get out after my Wordless Wednesday entry earlier …
1. What is your current obsession?
Well, if you’re reading this blog, I think it’s pretty obvious.
2. What are you wearing today?
Blouse, poufy skirt, hair ribbon — yeah, I am seven. 3. Why is today special?
Hmm, because I had a good lunch today (yummy chicken sandwich) and because Little Sis is picking me up from work so we can hit up a family BBQ. Oh, and the hair ribbon, of course. 4. What would you like to learn to do?
Play the guitar. I have it. I have the books. I just have not attempted it yet. 5. What is the last thing you bought?
A French book for babies (see #1). 6. What are you listening to right now?
Blouse, poufy skirt, hair ribbon — yeah, I am seven. 3. Why is today special?
Hmm, because I had a good lunch today (yummy chicken sandwich) and because Little Sis is picking me up from work so we can hit up a family BBQ. Oh, and the hair ribbon, of course. 4. What would you like to learn to do?
Play the guitar. I have it. I have the books. I just have not attempted it yet. 5. What is the last thing you bought?
A French book for babies (see #1). 6. What are you listening to right now?
Supermassive Black Hole by Muse — Twilight soundtrack. Don’t judge.
7. What’s your favorite season?
Winter. I love snow, and don’t mind the cold.
8. What’s your most challenging goal right now?
The constant struggling of buying stuff or not buying stuff. Going places or not going places. Spending money or not spending money. Ugh.
9. What would you like to have in your hands right now?
An icy cold Diet Coke and a book — instead of a smoothie and my wireless mouse.
10. What would you like to get rid of?
Anxiety. It’s free to a good home, but I can’t seem to get rid of it yet.
11. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would it be?
Wollman Rink in Central Park. Just glidey-gliding around, ahhh.
12. If you had $150 what would you spend it on?
I’d probably put it towards bills — to reduce #10 — but that’s not fun. So I’m going to say … art supplies. Yes, definitely art supplies. I’d have a Michaels spree!
Who, me? Stressed? Who said I was stressed?
A few months ago, I was getting my hair done, and the stylist asked if I was usually a stressed-out person.
I actually laughed. It just seemed like such a funny question. Like, yes! Duh! How could you even ask that?
But then I realized that not everyone would have answered with such a resounding “Yes!” Some people, when asked if they were stressed out, might reply, “No, not really.” Who are these people? And how come I’m not one?
You see, I have this career … and sometimes it makes me so stressed out, I can’t breathe. And I could be pregnant seven weeks from now.
You see the problem, right?
This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. When you are stressing out over how much you are stressed out, you have a problem. Darling Husband is worried, too, that I will either lose the baby or bring the baby into a crazy high-stress zone.
So lately, I’ve been practicing … breathe in … and it’s all about … breathe out … zen … breathe in … Calm … breathe out … You know, serenity.
- I have been taking more breaks at work (thank God for my nearby haven)
- I have been remaining calm when my colleagues are not so calm!
- I have been trying to let go of the stupid things
- I have been trying not to beat myself up when I mess something up
- I have been trying not to lose my temper
It’s going pretty well. I have felt less stressed out over the last few weeks — minus the Omigod-so-many-people-are-coming-over-and-everything-has-to-be-perfect backtrack.
Work has always been my biggest stresser, but lately it’s been a bit easier to just step back from the childish tantrums of other colleagues. To not let their kicking-and-screaming crap bother me the way it used to.
As it creeps closer to Open Season, I’m getting more perspective on what’s really important … and what isn’t. And — like the smoothies — it’s way easier to do something, or stop doing something, when you have the best reason in the world.
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