I’ve been in a funk lately. No reason, really. I think it’s just the way I’m built with storm clouds inside.
During this period of general moodiness, W and I have cleaned up our diet, eliminating almost all processed foods and loading up on fruits and vegetables.
From today’s grocery shopping trip.
I’ve been experimenting with new foods — chia seeds, flax seeds, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, homemade smoothies and juices. I’ve been trying out new recipes, too. I made broccoli tots, and they were delicious. Napoleon Dynamite’s got nothing on us. I found a recipe for three-ingredient pancakes (3 eggs, 1/2 C cottage cheese, 1/2 C oatmeal) that keeps me full all morning long.
These tots are tops.
It’s weird, this taking-care-of-me thing. I find myself slowing down and enjoying the little things: a banana with a tablespoon of almond butter, a perfect apple, a bottle of fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice.
Protein-packed pancakes with banana and Trader Joe’s almond butter.
But it extends beyond food. This weekend, I bought some socks off the clearance rack, and I found myself appreciating the bargain as well as the simple pleasure that comes from owning a pair of warm, comfortable socks. I am growing basil inside the house in a small container. Every morning, I smile as I check on the new green shoots as they crack through the soil in search of sunlight.
A pair of my new socks: awesomeness you can wear on your feet.
These little things give me the boost I need to move forward.
I had an eye exam and am waiting for new glasses.
I called the gynecologist today to schedule an overdue annual exam.
I tell myself I am worth it. Sometimes I believe this more than other times.
Scary things like doctor appointments start with a small step — a phone call.
I call and schedule and wait.
In the meantime, I savor the small things: a new notebook, a warm sweatshirt on a cold day, the comfort of a favorite flannel shirt, a hot cup of tea, a good book, a cat in my lap …
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What about you? What little things bring you joy?
The Flannel Files 