Friday, January 09, 2015

Friday's Fave Five #312



Hi everyone, welcome to this week's Friday's Fave Five.  It's a chilly one here in Southern Alberta but it's still a good day to find blessings.  Please join in with us.  If you are new you can go here for the guidelines.

Before I get into finding the good things about my week, I want to make a note on commenting formats... If you are using the google + commenting format on your blogger blog only other google + members may be allowed to comment.  I am not a member and so therefore I can't comment on your FFF posts.  If you leave a comment on my FFF post, I can email you back a comment on your post but if you don't comment all I can do is come by and read your post but I'll have to keep my comments to myself, so to speak.  Just so you know why I might not have been commenting on your posts.  I love to read all your FFF's from week to week and leave you comments to encourage you but since this google + thingy entered the picture I have not been able to do that and I thought you should know.

There now that this week's business is done, we can move along to the fun.

1.  Back to some semblance of routine.  I love the holidays, but boy oh boy, they mess with my routine.  After 10 days off of work, it was nice to find some routine to my days.  Going to bed way too late, getting up way too late, drifting by the seat of my pants throughout the days, eating all over the place really made it difficult to get this back to work week started.  But now it's starting to settle back to a nice rhythm.  I find peace in that.

2.  Energy starting to return.  The past 9 months to a year I have had a definite lack of energy at times, some days I was tired right down to my bones.  I knew I was down in my iron levels from my check up last year but thought I'd try to fix it with diet first.  But being sick in the first weeks of December just wiped me out so I knew I had to do something else.  I was getting up tired and going to bed exhausted every single day.  So on recommendation from a couple of people I picked up this supplement.  Boy it sure was not cheap but my hubby said if it did the job and I started to get my energy back it was worth it so I gave it a try.  I do believe it just might be working.  I don't feel so darn bone weary anymore, more like myself.   We'll see from the blood test this week whether it really is working or just a good 'ole placebo effect but I am definitely not dragging like I was for so long.  And a bonus blessing...I found a really good sale on it at a local health food store for my second round of it.

3.  Freezer clean out.  Now this may not mean a whole lot to anybody else but I finally took the bull by the horns and on a really cold day this week I unloaded the freezer into coolers and boxes and put it out on the deck and defrosted the big freezer.  I am way too embarrassed to tell you how long it's been since the last time.  Suffice it to say I may or may not have been able to build a small igloo out of ice I took out of there.  The blessing was the job was not as big or hard as I thought it was going to be.

4.  Soothing mint tea.  My first step in cutting back on drinks with sugar in them including juices.  During the holidays I had gotten way to used to ciders and hot chocolates and tropical juices.   I've been starting to brew a nice hot cup of mint tea in the evenings when I feel like something to drink other than water.  With it's delicious natural flavor I don't feel the need to even put honey into it.  It tastes and smells wonderful and is so soothing to sip as I'm reading my book.  Hopefully the habit will translate into more sweets being cut from my diet in the next couple of weeks.

5.  Twisted Peppermint candle from Bath and Body Works.  I've always loved the hand soap and body lotion with this seasonal smell but I'm really loving the candle with the same scent.  One of my dayhome kids gave it to me for Christmas and I've been enjoying it almost every day.  It's a warm and cool scent all at the same time.  Cool from the peppermint and warm from the vanilla scent.  And it's not overwhelming.



Those are five of my favorites for this week.  What were yours?






12 comments:

nikkipolani said...

I hear you about the routines, Susanne. Though, I was getting rather comfortable with my vacation routine, too!

I'm proud of you for tackling what seemed to be a nasty project. We don't have ice build up in our units, but you remind me it's time to take inventory.

And I like your idea of mint tea instead of something sweet.

Gattina said...

I am really happy that all these year's end festivities are over and I am back to my normal life ! I have these lack of energy and the tendency just to nothing starting when the days get shorter. That's why I go to Egypt each year to get my dose of vitamin D and light to cope over the winter ! It really helps me and I am back again in full energy ! These holidays are very cheap and are certainly better than taking all kind of pills ! Since I am retired and have time I can do it !

Dianna said...

Susanne, thank you so much for mentioning about the comments and goggle+ . I honestly could not remember how I had mine set, so I went back and checked it out. I think I should be good. ;)

I'm still trying to get into a routine again. Been dragging my feet a bit. I think I have allowed the frigid cold weather to rule me. :(

I love mint tea...great choice!

I hope you have a lovely weekend, Susanne.

Anonymous said...

Hope you get your energy back soon and warmer days.

Barbara H. said...

I've noticed the Google+ commenting options and thought it odd that one's comments could be connected to it. Then when I tried to click on someone's profile, it sent me to Google + instead of their profile. :-/

I had meant to mention getting back to a regular schedule on my FFF today but forgot. Then again, it hasn't been a routine week for us. :-) But I was able to deal with a little bit of clutter that had accumulated during the holidays.

I'm glad that supplement is helping. Did you try taking just iron supplements? I had to do that for a while.

Our chest freezer is starting to accumulate some build-up, too. We haven't had it long enough to defrost it before now but will have to deal with that soon.

Snowbird said...

I totally understand how hard it is to get back into a routine after a holiday....glad yours is settling now.
I do hope that supplement works, good luck with the blood tests.....feeling tired is so draining, I hope that becomes a thing of the past.xxx

ellen b said...

I do enjoy getting back to routines. Good job on tackling that freezer! Glad you are getting more energy. Hope everything is sorted out soon.

Faith said...

I'm like you Susanne, I couldn't wait to get back to the normal routine although I TOTALLY loved my 10 days off.....the sleeping in, the reading of TWO novels, the coffee, the food, the no working out...haha....back to reality! Your faves are great...that scent from BandBW is one I am ALLERGIC to!! I just found out this past month when i bought the lotion. Had to give it to my daughter to take back with her to college. Yay for drinking non sugary drinks. I gave up soda and certain fruit juices 5 years ago and don't miss them at all!! And i'm down to just a tsp of sugar in my coffee.
That's good for me. :)
Happy weekend!!

Deb J. in Utah said...

I love candles too! That Twisted Peppermint sounds delightful! Glad you are starting to get your energy back. Stay warm.

Jerralea said...

I find peace in routines, too. Okay, actually I like ruts ...

I'm trying to cut back on sugar, too. I'm doing it gradually by first cutting down drastically on my sweet tea intake. Last week, I only had one sweet tea all week. So far none this week. It's not fun, but I'm doing okay.

That candle sounds really good. I love mint but thought a peppermint candle would be overpowering. Since I love vanilla, I need to try the twisted peppermint like yours.

Willow said...

I'm glad you're feeling better now and that you've found a supplement that is helping.
I love candles too but don't use scented ones since The Professor is allergic. I just enjoy the light.

Mia said...

So glad you're enjoying being back in a routine! Mmmm.. routine... just the word calms my spirit. ;)

I love the idea of the house smelling like fresh mint! Might have to try that. We always have a lemon-lavendar candle burning in my kitchen so I could swap out with peppermint some time!

So glad you are getting your energy back! :) It's so hard when you feel out of balance- it affects all aspects of life.