My BIG Goal Update #1

 

As many of you know I am planning to downsize and move sometime within the next five years, give or take.  As I have mentioned in previous posts I want to wait until I no longer have pets to care for and therefore that is going to establish my actual timeline.  I will also need to take the economic climate into account when that time arrives.  With that being said however, I have a lot of options as far as how and where I want to eventually land.  I might go with a condo, a tiny home or I may go transient for awhile and then decide where and how I want to establish my next home.  Right now, as I sit here typing, I am pretty sure I will be going transient for awhile and that has me extremely excited!

 

My hope is to find a minivan, possibly a Dodge Grand Caravan or a Chrysler Town & Country, I’m leaning toward the Town & Country, in nice used condition with low miles and the stow and go seats.  I know it will take me some time to find exactly what I am looking for, but I happen to have plenty of time so I’m not worried, however I’d like to have it at least a year in advance so I can put it together and make any necessary repairs or upgrades it may require.  I also want to test it out before I hit the road for good.

 

I’ve started round four to continue decluttering my home.  In the process I’m collecting items I already have that will work for the van.  I plan to see if I can reuse the twin mattress and bed frame in the guest room so I’ve set aside some bedding, a sheet set and a blanket, for it in a zippered vinyl bag.  I’ve also set aside a comforter and a quilt.  Eventually I will add a pillow or two.  I’m thinking two so I can prop myself up in bed and read or work a crossword puzzle.  I will try to also reuse the bed frame, but if it won’t work I plan to build one that will.  Either way I hope to be able to utilize the space underneath the bed to store a lot of my things.  That will be important.

 

In the meantime I’m going to be upgrading my camping gear with van life in mind.  That notion kind of drove most of the Christmas gifts I got from my BFF which included a pop up shower tent with a collapsible potty and a super cool wind break for my camp stove.  I was so excited when I opened these and I’m even more excited to test them out this summer.

 

Also, as I go through the house, I’m collecting items that I will be selling in a final “estate” sale once I’m ready to launch.  I’m pricing these items at very reasonable prices with the goal to sell as much as I can and then donate the remainder which I hope is very little so I don’t have to load up a bunch of stuff and haul it somewhere.  I’m storing the sales items in the downstairs bedroom as it will be the perfect place for me to work on this process.  Everything will be clean and in good usable order too so people will want to buy stuff.  By the time all is said and done it should turn out to be a good sale, I think.  And!  I plan to never have another sale like this ever again in my life!

 

This year I’m also planning to do a low spend year so that I can save as much of my money as I can to put toward the van and getting it ready to roll.  I plan to invest all of my extra money I accrue and allow it to grow as much as possible prior to buying the van.  I want to focus my money in the direction of travel rather than on buying a bunch of crap I don’t need and will only end up having to get rid of later.

 

That brings you up to speed on where I am at as far as my next big adventure is concerned.  God willing I will make it happen and I am super excited about all of the places I will be going and all of the things I’ll get to see and experience.  It will be worth the wait and all of the preparation I will be doing ahead of time.

 

Low Carb Living

  

I’ve been living a low carb lifestyle for quite a while now and I must admit I feel so much better when I limit the amount of carbohydrates I consume as opposed to when I indulge and eat a lot of them.  Carbohydrates are the sugars in the foods we eat that once consumed get stored as fat until our bodies require them for energy.  As one that isn’t overly physical on the daily (I’m no athlete) it doesn’t take long for those carbs to stack up and accumulate where I don’t want them to.  I also find that when I eat too much starchy foods or sugar it leaves me feeling sick and sluggish.  I don’t digest them well and it often results in heartburn or an upset stomach, which is rather unpleasant at best.  Limiting my carbohydrate intake makes me feel better.

 

Low carb doesn’t mean no carb.  What constitutes a low carb lifestyle is different for each person.  Some want to keep it Keto or Atkins low, consuming less than 35 grams per day while others are quite happy if they keep it under 100.  I tend to do well if I keep it between 35 and 50 grams per day.  Sometimes I go over that, but I try not to go over 100 grams if I can help it.

 

The carbohydrates I tend to consume are in the form of simple natural foods like rice, oatmeal or potatoes and low carb breads (Hero) with really clean ingredients.  On occasion I’ll enjoy a bit of pasta or some homemade bread or muffins.  I really limit the pasta and no longer buy regular bread products at the store because most of those foods aren’t the best quality and have a lot of processing and unnatural ingredients.  I seem to tolerate these ultra processed foods less and less.

 

For the most part I try to stick to plants and animals.  My plate usually contains a nice serving of protein and a lot of vegetables.  I do eat a lot of salads, cooked or raw vegetables and some fruit, mainly berries, that I will put in my smoothies, plus bananas, apples and oranges.  My smoothies contain a bit of organic milk, all natural organic yogurt, about a third of a banana for a little sweetness, some berries and a good handful of raw spinach.  I also add in a scoop of unflavored organic collagen powder.  The more variety of healthy and nutritious foods I consume, the better I feel.  The collagen helps me with joint pain and has the added benefit of healthier hair and nails.

 

With a brand new year it is always a good time to look at what we’ve been eating and look for ways to improve our nutrition.  We can always make better choices, especially after all of the holiday indulgences.  I am constantly looking for a variety of better quality, fresh foods with clean ingredients.  I find my meals taste better and are far more satisfying.  I also find that I am less hungry after a good meal and less apt to snack or overeat.  My body responds better and I have more energy too.  I really like this healthy and low carb way of eating so I will be keeping it up this year.

 

My Tireless Retirement – Week 199

 

Hello everyone!  Our weather has been frosty in the mornings, but has warmed up during the day with some sunshine.  I can tell the days are definitely starting to get longer and the hens seem to be enjoying it as well.  They are keeping me in eggs, about one or two a day, which is amazing as typically it is so cold out they shut down production completely.  Last week I had an extra dozen eggs I will be able to share with a friend.

 

My LTFS shelves and kitchen freezer are well stocked with meals or components to make meals with.  This year I am finding that all I need to do is about every five days meal prep two entrees, pull a few items off the shelf or out of the freezer and I have plenty of food to keep myself going, often more than enough so that I can add a meal or two back to the freezer.  Sides to go with these meals have been either steamed vegetables from the freezer or green salad.  Healthy, well rounded and delicious meals, not to mention, super easy too!  I think I’m getting the hang of this!

 

After working all day Friday (and it was quite a day!  Holy cow!) I enjoyed a relaxed five day weekend and had the opportunity to spend Monday afternoon with gal pal who shares my love of card making and paper crafting.  She is also a cat lover too, so you know she’s a good person like me, LOL!  We ended up going to dinner at Texas Roadhouse that evening.  Their rolls are so good and the steaks are amazing!  It was a great day.

 

Tuesday was my day to get caught up on housekeeping tasks, including paying bills and other home administration duties.  I made a list of meals I want to make on my next meal prepping session scheduled for this weekend.  What took the most time was to go through my phone and laptop and do some major decluttering of my photos, texts and emails.

 

Wednesday was my errand running day and included my first trip to Costco in quite some time.  I got the less fun errand done first by going to the tire center and get things checked out as to why my low tire indicator light keeps coming on and it seems one of the sensors has gone bad, but all of my tires are fine.  I’ll add the sensor to my list of things to do in the not too distant future.  Then I enjoyed a leisurely pace at Costco with, of all things, no list!  Yes, you read that right.  I intentionally went into Costco with no list and no budget – dangerous, I know!

 

My primary reason for going was to top up the gas tank and hopefully pick out a few clothing items to make a new outfit.  I am now trying to get one new outfit a year to keep me in clothes (without over doing it) and as it turned out I was able to choose a pair of pants, a top and a pull over teal jacket.  I also picked out an extra pair of pants.  All active wear for both work and home.  It’s how I live my everyday life right now.

 

I made my way through the aisles and picked out three bottles of wine as I have some planned entertaining with friends coming up, a new door mat for the front porch and then I picked out some groceries and got the heck out of there.  $200 later I was wheeling my little cart full of all kinds of goodies out to the car and feeling pretty darn good about it.

 

Thursday afternoon found me back at work and that ended my latest week in retirement.  I am feeling really good about where I am currently at in my life.  Things are getting done, decisions are being made and actions are being taken.  Right now I am feeling both empowered and productive.  This girl is taking care of business!  Have a great weekend!

 

 

Varying Degrees Of Minimalism

 

Minimalism is different for everyone.  For some it means to only have one fork, one spoon, one plate, one bowl.  To only have what they feel they need.  Keeping only what is necessary and nothing more.  And that is the key point.  Keeping only what is necessary to live a happy and enriched life and nothing else.

 

I try not to allow things to collect on surfaces

For others, what is necessary may mean more.  For me, I find that a complete set of silverware and dishes is necessary.  A room filled with crafting and sewing supplies is necessary.  I personally prefer to be surrounded by more things because that is what I am comfortable with.  However, I also feel that I need less of these things to feel that same sense of comfort.

 

I keep a service for 4 which works perfectly,
especially when I decide to use my dishwasher

As I am getting older I do find that what I feel is necessary to have in my life is lessening.  I no longer feel the need to stuff the craft room with everything imaginable to enjoy my hobbies.  I am happier now with a set of dishes for four instead of twelve.  I don’t need a full closet of clothes and instead I only keep items I wear on a regular basis.

 

It is super easy to figure out what to wear each day

There is no right or wrong way to live minimally.  For each of us what constitutes less is highly subjective.  I feel that you should minimize to the point that you are comfortable and only keep the things that support your current lifestyle.  Let go of anything that no longer serves you.  And that is a strong point.  Let go of anything that no longer serves you.

 

The junk drawer

I still continue to go through my things and re-evaluate the items I choose to keep often finding more stuff to get rid of.  As I age I find I prefer my possessions to be more consumable, things that move in and out of my home or are put into service on a regular basis.  Things I routinely look at and appreciate.  I no longer feel the need to have things stashed away and saved for “someday”, a special occasion or for “what if” and “just in case”.

 

The guest room/craft & sewing room

Swedish death cleaning and preparing for our ultimate demise is very important because we really shouldn’t leave our mess for others to have to deal with if we can avoid that.  I feel quite strongly about that.  Fortunately I am in that phase of life where I feel I’ve adequately done that.  I’m organized and prepared so whatever is left when I am gone is going to be manageable.  It’s a process, an important one, and as time goes on I know I’ll continue to minimize my possessions because every year I find I need to own less and less.  I am comfortable with this and that is a very good thing.

 

Become Your Own Best Friend

 

Since retiring I find I really do enjoy my own company more and more.  There has definitely been a shift in how I feel about myself in recent years too.  I treat myself a whole lot better than I used to.

 

For one thing I no longer have that negative self talk playing on repeat inside of my head.  We’ve all done that and it is a really bad habit to get into.  We wouldn’t say those things or think those things about others, but for some reason we do it to ourselves.  Its complete and utter nonsense and I chose to stop.  I no longer chastise myself.  Even if I make a mistake I tell myself it is completely okay and we’ll just chalk this up as a learning opportunity.  Case closed.

 

I treat myself so much better than how I used to in my younger years.  I take better care of myself, I feed myself better food, I allow myself to have certain things, do certain things and take time off to rest and relax – guilt free.  I treat myself to things I used to deny myself like a day trip (waste of gas), going out to eat a meal (waste of money) with a friend or even by myself.  I go to the movies (waste of time).  I will even spend the day doing nothing (need to always be productive) but playing.

 

Even if I’m alone I am never lonely.  I’ve become my own best friend and because of that I feel better, more confident and happier.  I enjoy doing things on my own and have absolutely no problem going places and doing things by myself.  In fact, I actually look forward to my alone time and whatever I have planned to do.  Yay me!

 

 

 

Healthy & Delicious Meals From My Pantry #1

 

The first week of this month was super easy as I literally just reheated and served up holiday leftovers.  Then it was time to get busy and start cooking again.  I’m trying something a little bit different right now as I try to plan and meal prep all of my meals on one day and then reheat and heat all week.  Not only will this save me a lot of time, but I also think it well go a long way to helping me get the most out of my groceries with little to no food waste.  Less time spent heating up the stove and oven as well as washing dishes will save on the electric bill and probably some dish soap too.

 

I thawed a package of ground beef and one of ground pork to make a nice meatloaf which I “baked” in my medium size slow cooker.  I added some vegetables and red potatoes to make it a complete meal.

 

In my small slow cooker I made a small batch of bean soup using up a package ham in the deep freezer, a container of frozen ham broth and a home canned jar of navy beans.  I also added chopped onions and carrots.  From the freezer I pulled out a two cup container of chicken fried rice and a dish of leftover burrito/taco filling.  I made a large green salad as well.

 

Using up odds and ends in my refrigerator/freezer and a few things in the pantry I made up a huge pot of meat sauce and used that to make three beautiful pans of lasagna.  One was baked along with a no crust pumpkin pie while the other two were wrapped and placed in the garage deep freezer to be enjoyed in the future.

 

I used the burrito filling from the freezer to make tacos and made sure all of my leftovers were eaten so no food went to waste.  All of this was enough food to feed me well for over three weeks.  It is always amazes me how so little can create so much.

 

 

My Tireless Retirement – Week 198

 

Hello friends!  How is everyone?  I hope you are all doing well and your needs are being met.  Our weather has cooled with overnight temperatures below freezing, however we are still warmer than average and have had a lot of rain with our El Nino winter.  How is the weather where you live?

 

Last Friday morning I was awake at 3:00 in the morning and could not go back to sleep to save my soul.  My first thoughts upon waking were how my heart hurt for Minneapolis and all that had taken place there as well as how our federal government chose to respond to that atrocity.  I appreciated the honest emotion of their mayor too.  I couldn’t shut off my thoughts so I just got up and started my day.  I also worked all that day at the senior center (and we were busy!) so by the time I got home I was physically and emotionally exhausted.  I immediately took a hot bath, put on my pajamas and fixed one of the frozen pizzas the BFF had stashed in my freezer for just such an occasion.  And I was grateful to have it too.

 

I started gathering up items from the freezer, fridge & pantry to use up

I went to bed on time that evening and slept in until 10:00 Saturday morning!  It is rare for me to sleep in, but even more so for it to be that late in the morning so I’d say I was very tired.  I slept straight through the night, again something I rarely do, and when I got up I felt rested and reinvigorated so I puttered about the house getting my chores done, fed and took care of my animals and sipped my coffee while I slowly began my day.  It was the perfect start to my weekend.  I also pulled out some items from the pantry and freezer to start a meal prep for the week ahead.  You all know how much I love quality time spent in my kitchen!

 

I did a lot of die cutting

I used up a lot of scraps this past week!

I had made some die cuts with my Sissix the week prior and the kitties found them and decided to do some paper crafting of their own – little brats!  They had some fun, to be sure.  It gave me the excuse to get back to it and get crafty and that is how I spent the remainder of my Saturday.  Paper crafting and watching some TV while I worked.  Perfect!

 

I sliced up and blanched carrots & celery for the freezer

These will be super handy to add to future meals & recipes

I saved the blanching water along with some veggie
scraps to add to my next batch of stock 

Sunday morning I woke up inspired to do a little meal prep.  I had purchased a large bag of carrots as well as about a half bunch of celery that I wanted to peel, cut up and blanch for the freezer.  I ended up with a quart bag of sliced carrots, a sandwich bag of chopped celery and carrots for soup and then a snack size bag of celery for a future recipe.  I am happy about that and even happier that nothing went to waste as some scraps went to the bag in the freezer to make broth while the rest went to the bunny and the chickens.

The girls love kitchen scraps

 

Thank you ladies!

I decided to make some pasta meat sauce and use up a bunch of odds and ends in the kitchen freezer, fridge and pantry (older jars of home canned meat) and it made a huge pot of sauce.  I had a box of lasagna noodles that had been hanging out in the pantry for a while so I used that to make three lasagnas.  One I cooked for this past week and the other two were wrapped and put in the deep freezer.  I have enough lasagna stocked for the entire year and I used up a ton of stuff – cheese, cottage cheese from the fridge plus frozen sweet bell pepper, crushed tomatoes and grated zucchini from the freezer.

 

A huge pot of "clean out the fridge & freezer" sauce

I watched Youtube videos while I was cooking
Three lasagnas - 1 for now, 2 for the deep freezer

It was time to wash all of my bedding so while I ran loads through I did some paper crafting.  I used up some of the die cuts and scrappy bases I had made the day before to create sixteen birthday cards.  I also used up a lot of embellishments I had in one of the drawers of my craft organizer.  Slowly, but surely I am using things up.  My paper scraps drawer is looking so much better too.

 

After clearing out the fridge/freezer I had a few dishes,
but no food waste!

I still had a fair bit of produce left after cleaning the fridge

With many items cleared from the refrigerator it was the perfect time to go through everything in there and take inventory of what I had.  I took everything out, wiped down the shelves and wiped out the drawers and then reorganized everything.  I place leftovers to be eaten all together in one place so I can focus on those first and then on Tuesday I ended up putting the lasagna I had made up into the oven for supper.  Since I had the oven on I also added a no crust pumpkin pie I made using sweetener in place of sugar to lower the carbohydrates.  It was delicious!  So was the lasagna!

 

I stopped at Winco to pick up some staples I was low on
Fresh blackberries were $1.28 a pint!  What a treat & quite delicious!

After work on Monday I stopped in at Winco to pick up a few items I was running low on.  Along with some fresh produce I picked up half a dozen bags of frozen vegetables to add to the chest freezer in my LTFS.

 

I made cards to use up & clear out my scrap paper drawer
Huge progress was made! 😃

Pretty embossed Christmas cards

My days off were Tuesday and Wednesday and I spent the majority of that time crafting.  I am on a mission to use up some stuff!  And that I did.  More items from my stash were transformed into greeting cards and embellishments for making journals and other things.  Last week I ordered a set of replacement blades for my paper cutter, a box of 100 white envelopes, a new set of dies (on sale) to help me complete my projects.  I am only planning to purchase necessities, not extras this year.  I have so much beautiful papers to use up right now.  I definitely don’t need to buy any paper this year.

 

I had so much fun!

That was how I spent my latest week in retirement.  How was your week?  Take care and stay safe my friends.  I wish you all the best in the coming week.