Scattered Sundays

Well, I have officially eased back into running after a season of surgeries and recovery. It’s going…well(ish). Maybe?

I had no expectations that I would quickly be returning to pre-surgery level endurance. So, for my first venture out, I just made it a goal to run 1 mile. Just one. And I did it and it felt fine and almost easy.

And then about 2 hours later, my abdominal incision sites were super achy and I felt a little crampy and gross. I grabbed a book, propped my feet up for about 90 minutes, and felt better.

After my second run (1.5 miles), I had the same achy feeling but was too busy to rest. I slowed down the tasks I was doing but kind of just plowed through and ended up feeling fine after a few hours.

My first day back to weight training was a bit of a (literal) hot mess. I started with waaaaay too high of weights right off the bat, and the furnace also kicked on right as I started my workout.

I got super overheated about 90 seconds into the workout and just felt barfy and gross. Lesson learned – work out earlier in the morning before the furnace kicks on. And to stop assuming I can do exactly what I was doing before, without a ramp-up period.

Before surgery, I felt super strong. And now, well, I get the “fun” of building that backup. I’ll get there. But I also need to remind myself that I had three surgeries in two months, with two of them happening in a 24-hour period. And some um, life-threatening internal bleeding. So, you know, good times.

File this under “finally” and “who-hoo”, but we have been given the go-ahead from insurance to start the repair work to the basement!

I’m ready to get the show on the road, but I’m also already to just be done with everything. I’m impatient and also excited to stop living with chaos and piles everywhere.

As I sorted out my editorial calendar for 2023 (nerd speak for what posts I will post and when), I made the hard decision that in some months, I need to drop down to two recipe posts per week instead of three.

I’ve been posting on the same Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday schedule since 2018 (maybe?), and doing something different feels weird, scary, and maybe a tiny bit freeing.

I have big goals for 2023, and some of the experts I’m working with are encouraging me to aim higher when it comes to the keywords that I target.

It’s mundane nerd stuff that I won’t really bore you with, but as bloggers, we have software that allows us see how many people are searching for specific keywords on a monthly basis. Often times people will ask me to write a post or “do a recipe” about “XYZ”, but 99% of the time those topics will bring in exactly 0 pageviews over time.

Before, I was targeting smaller and therefore safer keywords. But with safe choices comes limited growth. So rather than posting at the same schedule just for the sake of having 3 recipe posts a week, I’m focusing my energy on higher-quality projects.

So, bold and scary choices are on the horizon for 2023. Wish me luck! Thanks in advance for your encouragement and support. Huzzah!

And in the exact opposite thinking of less is more, Jack’s team will be moving to three soccer practices per week instead of two. I’m hoping that more practice will give them more confidence, and I think a few new kids will be joining the team.

Thank goodness, because we often have zero subs at away games and these kids get pretty worn out playing for 75 minutes.

But at the same time, three practices a week feels like a lot of time for him and our family to be at a soccer field. I think a food truck would clean up if it set up shop in the parking lot because all the parents are usually over making dinner by the time 7:30 rolls around.

What I’m reading this week

My first book of 2023 was Night Road by Kristin Hannah. I both liked and didn’t like this book as I had a few chapters of ugly crying. On the plus side, it takes place in the Puget Sound region and it was fun to see local places discussed.

I’m currently reading The It Girl, a whodunit set at Oxford College and in Scotland. I like it so far.

READER SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK

Beth left this five-star review on our Air Fryer Omelet {Pin this recipe}:

Tried this for breakfast this morning and it was great! Started with a plain cheese omelet, will definitely expand my filling choices next time! And there will be a next time! Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe.

ON SUSTAINABLE COOKS THIS WEEK

Air Fryer Artichokes – Crispy and dippable, you’re going to love these Fried Artichoke Hearts in the air fryer! Perfect as a healthy side dish or appetizer, a plate of air-fried artichoke hearts will be a new favorite! {Pin this recipe}

Healthy Banana Muffins – Delicious and fluffy, Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins are the perfect tasty whole-grain breakfast. Made with 100% whole wheat, they’re super fluffy and packed with amazing banana flavor and a kiss of chocolate chips. {Pin this recipe}

MEAL PLAN

The weather is supposed to suck this week and we’re heading into three soccer practices a week. I’m aiming for cozy, low to no-dairy foods so that Jack can eat a little dinner before practice and then not have his stomach hurt.

And then he eats more when he gets home. Basically, sports nights = hobbit-style dinners.

Monday:: Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana, salad, and bread.

Tuesday:: We’re triple booked that night, so takeout in the car between appointments and soccer.

Wednesday:: Troy is making dinner and we’ll be super excited to eat whatever he makes!

Thursday:: Carne Asada (from Trader Joe’s), Instant Pot Mexican Rice, and some sort of air fryer veggies.

Friday:: Popcorn, leftovers, and movie night.

Saturday:: Troy’s cousin’s family is coming over (hurray!) and we’re making homemade pizza (with this dough and this pizza sauce) and salad.

Sunday:: Troy is making some sort of dinner. I’ll be at a 7-8 hour planning meeting as a new member of the board of our local soccer league. :insert bored crying noise here: