Thirtiftiness

So I was chatting with a fellow single parent and here are a few thrifty ideas that we do:

-I use the dishwasher/washing machine/dryer either after 9:00pm or on weekends

-all loads of laundry are done in cold water

-keep the heat down. I keep mine at 19C during the day on weekends, during the week it is at 16C.  At times I find the cat sitting on a heat vent hahaha! But I just layer up:)

-shopping for food when you are single half the time can be tricky.  I have gone to freezing a lot such as leftover fresh berries I know won't get eaten in time, I throw them in the freezer for smoothies later.  Other things I freeze are leftovers...for a meal when we are altogether again (the kids and I), spinach, bananas for muffins, sometimes I will cook a lot of pasta and freeze it, then when the time comes that I need it, I just boil the H2o and throw it in, it shaves a few minutes off from cooking it from dried.

-cancel cable-- this seems to be very common for people wHen they first get divorced.  Then they go to Netflix

-People invite you over for dinner more often when they know you are alone...

-my gym membership isn't getting wasted! Now with more free time to myself I go to the gym way more often. 

-again with more time on my hands I make a lot from scratch, such as baked goods for school snacks.  When I first got separated I would go on these baking binges and everyone benefited because I didn't have enough room to freeze all that I had baked.

-I coupon and price match sometimes too

-I take advantage of PC Points, Shoppers Optimum Points and Air Miles

Just a few things that all put together help.

:)

Back on track?

So Bubble Soccer put a temporary stall to my training for the half marathon:(. Because I got hit from behind a few times I managed to pull the muscles on left side of my neck.  A trip to Dr Jeff my chiropractor and an hour massage at Jockvale Massage, I feel I am back on track.  I still have tightness on the left side of my neck and lower back but I need to get back into training and maybe it will help loosen everything up.

Tried this today:

Ended up messing up the timing and speeds, so I will attempt it again.  It has me running faster than I ever have on the treadmill:) also did 15 minutes on the rowing machine. Forgot how much I love that machine.  In university I could literally "row" for hours on that machine, listening to The Best Of Queen, on my Sony Walkman! 

Ahhhhhh memories

Last minute March Break

There is a free skate at TD Place from 1:00 - 3:30.

We even picked up 2 for 1 tickets for tomorrow nights game (probably not using mine so I have 3 if anyone wants them) and we also got 2 for 1 for the Fury on April 18. Might use them but again I have three 2 for 1s so that is six people let me know if you wanna go:)

😀

Today I am thankful for:

Great winter weather...finally❄️

Free Cone Day at Dairy Queen

Acoustic songs

Skiing with my kids🎿

Bubble soccer & Dr Jeff my chiropractor

Good grades

The Cose Gang!!

March Break

Getting back into training

Chocolate

My hill to climb

So I started my hill training...

On a treadmill:)

I chose a random option and started at 6KPH.  The highest it climbed to was 3.6 but I was concerned about how much incline it would go to at a level 4. I did not sleep well and was a little tight from the day before. So with a French Vanilla from Timmy's coursing through my veins, I sped up to 7KPH and ran the whole 5K without slowing down.  Did take me longer but I just needed a baseline to go from.

It was a really good run and I felt great!

I think tomorrow is a rest day?

I hope:)

No tiny bubbles here

Our bubble soccer teams. 

You wanna sweat

You wanna laugh

You wanna play soccer?

Bubble soccer is where it is at!  So fun! Bring lots of H2o!

We ended in a 7-7, after Rob switched to our red team. I think it was 7-1 before that and the blue team scored on themselves:p

Me recovering afterwards:(

At it again:)

So I plan to run my fourth half marathon this spring at Race Weekend.  I would really like to shave a wee bit of time off, so I googled...

I found a few plans:

Runner's World had some plans but you had to pay $25 for them! Whatever! But they did have some advice too:

Speed intervals: 4/2 split run fast for 4 minutes then recover for 2. This is how I started running.  The speed I ran at when I first started is now my "recovery" speed:)

Xt: cross training no running that day but use another machine.  My choice is going to be the rowing machine!

Another suggestion is HILLS!

Oh I love running hills!!!! Sarcasm 

During my races I usually walk any hills to conserve energy?!?!

The thing is I am one of the few out there that likes to run on the treadmill. So this training will mostly take place on a treadmill.  Once the snow melts I will do my Greenbank/Hunt Club/Woodroffe/Strandherd/back path route (19k)but I am going to attempt to use the treadmill for the majority.

My plan is to combine the two plans and tweak em for my pleasure or torture depending on the day.

I even know of a few hills I can tackle. I will call it The Bowl and will blog when I attempt it.

What I struggle with is what to eat and when to eat it?  Any suggestions? And no I won't eat bananas:p

So today I tried interval running but I did it by the kilometre.  1k at 8KPH and then the next was at 10KPH for 5k.  By the 3k I walked a bit at the beginning but got back up to 8KPH. At the 4k mark I did up to 4.70 at 10KPH but I like to run on an empty stomach and didn't want to pass out so I slowed down. Finished the 5K

This (the above)might not matter to you but I am recording it because then it makes me accountable.

Weird moment at the gym:

These were on the boot rack when I got to the gym:

No comment but please if you have any do share:)

Going with gratefulness

Today I am grateful for:

The Keg

New friends ?

My electric blanket 

Calls from friends to check in

Old friends

Warmer weather:)

House Of Cards

Candles

Getting a lot done