Monthly Post for August 2022

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Meghan509
Meghan509 Posts: 1,964 Member
It's a new month and a fresh start! Let's all enjoy the last bit of summer, shall we? :)
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  • Meghan509
    Meghan509 Posts: 1,964 Member
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    Good morning!

    Monday is here again. Grumble grumble. We did have a great weekend with beautiful weather and I got some nice color (with SPF 50 on my face and chest of course). ;)

    That dessert you mentioned in your last post, @MelodiousMermaid sounded yummy!

    Hope you had a nice weekend, @KateNkognito

    Have a good day and see you soon!
  • KateNkognito
    KateNkognito Posts: 1,525 Member
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    Good morning! August is here. I can't believe it! I am starting to get excited for the new school year. Busy few weeks ahead. If I don't check in, I am not dead, just tired. :D
  • Meghan509
    Meghan509 Posts: 1,964 Member
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    Good morning!

    Finally feeling mostly back to normal here and have pretty much stopped coughing! Phew. We both still have a little bit of tiredness and fatigue we are dealing with, but I know this too shall pass.

    LOL @KateNkognito I hear you about tired!

    Tuesday back in the office and traffic was kind, thank God. Hopefully it stays that way. Sunny and 80 F here. Humid too!

    Hope you have a good and healthy Tuesday! See you soon. ;)
  • KateNkognito
    KateNkognito Posts: 1,525 Member
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    Glad you both are feeling better, Meghan!

    I took my kids to school and we got a good chunk of my room ready. Makes me feel better. At this point, I could spend 30 minutes throwing things in a cabinet and be ready for the first day. I need to borrow my teenage son's hot glue gun to put up a few things and then I will be all done with the decor. That means that I can spend the rest of my time getting lessons ready.

    Have a great rest of the week! Be healthy!
  • Meghan509
    Meghan509 Posts: 1,964 Member
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    Hello!

    Happy Wednesday!

    Just attended a nice retirement lunch for a colleague I have worked with for many years. Cool thing is they had a giant salad bar with all the fixings set up, so easy and great way to stay decent on calories!

    Hope your day is going well so far. No complaints here!

    @KateNkognito good for you for getting set up! I am like you where I like to prep and get stuff done so I feel less stress and worry once the date is upon us. I am doing that today with getting ready for a September meeting. September is going to be here before we know it. *screams*

    Have a good rest of the day and see you soon!
  • KateNkognito
    KateNkognito Posts: 1,525 Member
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    @Meghan509 The salad bar sounds super yummy! And the end of the year always seems to fly by. School year starts, then it is suddenly Thanksgiving and the end of the year!

    Had a really good professional development today. It was long, but useful.
  • Meghan509
    Meghan509 Posts: 1,964 Member
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    Good morning!

    Just a regular Thursday in the office but you would never know it. Lots of people working remotely or taking vacation today! Quiet is fine by me! LOL

    Traffic was not too bad either. Fingers crossed that it stays that way.

    I bought some Kind Breakfast Protein bars to have as a quick and easy mid AM snack / breakfast. I like them a lot and they are very satisfying. Two small bars per pack, 100% whole grains, 8g protein in the serving. 220 calories for the one I am having today. Yum.

    @KateNkognito Glad to hear you had a good day yesterday. Sounds kind of like me, busy but productive.

    Hot, hot, hot, and HUMID here today. It is only 9:30am Eastern and we are already sitting at 80 degrees F and sunny! Stay cool and hydrated! *sips water*

    Have a great day all! See you soon,
  • Meghan509
    Meghan509 Posts: 1,964 Member
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    Good morning!

    Hope your week has been a good one, all!

    Totally and completely flew by for me. :o Happy to be home today in the A/C working remotely. HOT and HUMID out there again. Sigh...

    Last night we grilled hamburgers outside on the grill and they came out nice. The grill has definitely been getting a work out this summer and last summer.

    No big plans here for the weekend, other then taking it easy and staying cool. Supposedly going to be an isolated thunderstorms type of a weekend. All good. So many other positive things to focus on!

    Have a good one and see you soon!
  • KateNkognito
    KateNkognito Posts: 1,525 Member
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    Well, that went quickly! My professional development was really interesting and I feel like I am going to use a lot of what I learned. Also, we have working AC in our wing of the school now. It was 90°F in my room. Not okay! They got it fixed this morning. B)

    @Meghan509 It has been really hot this summer so I have found myself less willing to go out and grill than usual. I think I will be using it more this fall, though.

    Speaking of this fall: I need meal ideas. We have gotten into a rut and some bad take out habits lately. I would like some different meals to make quickly. I'm going to have to pull out the cookbooks and thumb through my one pan wonders and 30 minutes or less.
  • MelodiousMermaid
    MelodiousMermaid Posts: 380 Member
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    Hello and Happy August to you both.

    Things are starting to get a bit crazy around the house now, as we're preparing to go on a family vacation tomorrow evening. I have to admit I'm nervous about intake for the week we'll be gone. I'm hoping that IF will be the super tool that I need to either have a net loss for the week (my ideal/preferred outcome) or at least break even (probably more realistic).

    Our accommodations will have a kitchen, so I'm thinking I'll have some groceries come with if there's space and we'll supplement it with ordering in some groceries when we get there. Hoping to have at least 2 full days on the resort where we'll be taking it easy and enjoying the provided amenities, so those days will be easy to plan and control.

    Anyway, the last week went OK. There was one day where I had the hungries, but I was able to stick to the plan. I am finding that I'm feeling overly fatigued after strength training though, so I guess I might not be able to fast those mornings and will have to figure out a small breakfast/ snack to have afterward to get me through to lunch.

    Meghan, good to hear you are both getting better and that you've had the chance to enjoy some time grilling. Our grill has gotten a fair bit of use this summer too.

    Kate, I'm probably not the best go-to person for exciting meals, but as far as some ideas for quick-fix dinners go, pre-prepped salad ingredients are super-quick to throw together for a light supper, including meats and/or hard boiled eggs for protein, and we often use microwave bags for steamed veggies to go with pasta and sauce, reheating pre-cooked meat or meatballs, or to go with a simple meat or fish. I microwave potatoes as well (prefer the red skinned variety)... poke in various places with a fork after rinsing and they go in the microwave for 4-5 minutes. We have sun tea a lot to go with our meals, and it helps it feel more like a complete meal and keeps the cost and calorie count controlled. Every couple of weeks or so we enjoy fancier meals, including steak (often with caramelized onions and mushrooms), gyro sandwich kits, other frozen prepared dinners (just reheat and good to go, though several of them require upwards of an hour to bake), doctored up Mac and cheese (add meat and veggies and garlic/spices, andhomemade sushi rolls (not pretty, but tasty... these are hard to prepare within 30 minutes though unless you pre-prep stuff ahead of time, but the rice is finicky and that might not work).

    Anyway, hope you both have a good weekend/week. Off I go to do some packing!
  • KateNkognito
    KateNkognito Posts: 1,525 Member
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    @MelodiousMermaid Have fun on your trip! Thanks for the ideas. We're just in a food rut lately. Gotta change things up. I hope you do well with eating on vacation. The nice thing about fasting is you can always restart after your last bite.

    This week is shaping up to be another whirlwind adventure! Youngest starts Thursday, I have open house, and Friday is orientation for my 6th graders. Fun times! Have a good week!
  • Meghan509
    Meghan509 Posts: 1,964 Member
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    Good morning!

    Busy but productive Monday AM here! Hope everybody had a great weekend. It was HOT, HUMID, and for the most part low key and relaxing here. Thank God for Air Conditioning! LOL :)

    @MelodiousMermaid hope you have a great vacation! Try and relax and enjoy yourself. Make smart choices, like lots of veggies where ever possible, healthy salads with fixings for lunch (love the giant salad bars that I tend to frequent at resorts) and drink lots of water. Your WOE will be there for you 100% when you are back from your break. Nice dinner suggestions!

    @KateNkognito for recipes, try going on to Budget Bytes or Skinnytaste to get ideas. I would share some that I make often but honestly you know best what you and the family like. I will suggest some simple turkey or chicken burgers (either site has a bunch) because then you can dress them up with whole wheat buns, certain fixings, and / or pair with a simple side like potatoes, green beans, salad kits, etc. If it is hot you can grill them outside or cook ahead and reheat if it is a busy week. Those two are my favorite sites for dinner recipes. I also recommend the Skinnytaste cook books as well. :)

    Another hot one today. Just a tad after noon here on the East Coast and a balmy 89 F at the moment. *screams*

    Have a good day and see you soon.
  • KateNkognito
    KateNkognito Posts: 1,525 Member
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    My classroom was a balmy 89 today. Again. I was not pleased.

    @Meghan509 Thanks for the ideas! I hope it cools off for you soon!

    Going to bed early. This old gal sweat a lot and I need to rehydrate and recover.
  • Meghan509
    Meghan509 Posts: 1,964 Member
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    Good morning!

    YES, HOT as heck here and I am over it! My hair is also over it! Getting ready in the AM is torture! Don't get me wrong, I love summer and I like heat but this HUMIDITY is bananas! :'( 86g degrees F here and it is only 10:20am. *screams* So much for taking a walk at lunch time. No thanks!

    Stay cool @KateNkognito and hope your classroom temp gets sorted out. UGH.

    Not much new here. Lots of peeps on vacation at the office so holding down the fort. I got this. :)

    Have a great day and see you soon!
  • Meghan509
    Meghan509 Posts: 1,964 Member
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    Good morning!

    Hope your week is going well! Wednesday is going well so far. It is a tiny bit less hot and humid which I like. Phew. Today I managed to break the circuit breaker in the bedroom while blow drying my hair with the window unit A/C going. BF was able to get it turned back on right away. Lesson learned. Need to turn off the A/C when blow drying. Sigh... Old homes. :)

    Not much new here. Hoping for a good productive day. Looking forward to making up some fresh green beans with dinner tonight. LOL I do get excited about veggies!

    See you soon!
  • KateNkognito
    KateNkognito Posts: 1,525 Member
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    My room is now 15-20 degrees cooler than it was! I am fairly ready for the first week of school. Open House is tomorrow, orientation for our 6th grade is on Friday and everyone is back on Monday.
    @Meghan509 I am glad it has cooled off a bit for you! I wish it would here. I don't like to sweat. I am chubby and I chafe. I guess that would be another good reason to get back to fasting. ;)
  • KateNkognito
    KateNkognito Posts: 1,525 Member
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    Exhausted, but I got to meet a bunch of my new students at open house. :) Tomorrow is a half day orientation for 6th graders and on Monday everyone starts. Here we go!
  • Meghan509
    Meghan509 Posts: 1,964 Member
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    Hi all!

    Friday is here and I am thankful! Been a busy but productive day so far. Finally nice weather and less humid! Went to the grocery store at lunch to get the shopping done. I like being able to do that.

    @KateNkognito speaking of chafing, LOL. I picked up a Gold Bond anti chafing stick on Amazon recently. It is cheap and it works!

    Glad you got your class room temp down. Nothing worse then sweating all day! Wow, school is almost here. Please, summer don't leave yet... :/

    We are going to a friends' place tomorrow for a BBQ and to celebrate some August birthdays. My guy's birthday is on Monday, 8/15. :) Looking forward to that.

    Hope you have a nice weekend and see you soon!
  • KateNkognito
    KateNkognito Posts: 1,525 Member
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    Hello, all! A local nursery is having a sale and we got a lilac bush for half off! I LOVE lilacs and I have wanted one for years, but we never had a place for one, but we cut out a couple of things that were getting overgrown and now we have the perfect spot. I will be able to see and smell it from my room!
  • Meghan509
    Meghan509 Posts: 1,964 Member
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    Good morning!

    Hope you had a nice weekend, @KateNkognito and I bet you guys picked yourselves out a beautiful lilac bush! Sounds amazing. Enjoy!

    @MelodiousMermaid hope you had a nice vacation!

    We had a nice relaxing weekend! Saw friends on Saturday night and spent the whole day outside yesterday. Nice to have warm and sunny skies with less humidity! WOO HOO.

    Today is BF's birthday so we have a few treats to have otherwise a normal low key day on the food front.

    Hope you have a great day and a good week!