Florida sunsets are breathtaking. Check it out.
I also just started back with IF and started the Keto diet. I’m down one lbs but still have 7 to go. Wish me luck!!
Cheers!
Michelle
1 year anniversary!!!
Today is my one year “Florida-anniversary!!!” Can you believe it’s been a year!?!? I can’t!
In that year’s time, a lot in my life has changed. Some good, some I’ll call not so good, and some indifferent. But mostly ALL good!!
I thought I’d have a little fun and just list some of my findings over this last year. These are in no real particular order, except for the first two items. They are my favorite things.
1 The beach is my all-time favorite place. I happiest lounging in my chair or floating in the ocean with a hat on my head, sunglasses on, and all my cares a million miles away, even if only briefly. Our favorite local beach is Pass-A-Grille in St. Pete, and we’ve also visited Clearwater, Siesta Key, John’s Pass, Madeira Island, Treasure Island, Hollywood and Anna Maria Island as far as beaches.
2 All things Disney. When I am there with my family it’s almost as if all of our stressors have completely blown away with each rise and fall of the coasters. The smell of popcorn in the air make me so happy and like I am a kid again. It also seems to lift all of my husband’s stressors (having done 2 deployments now) away, which is greatly needed.
3 I miss my family and friends back in IL, and I miss the fall season as it’s one of my favorite seasons other than summer. I miss the great city of Chicago, as well!!! I will always have a love affair with that city!!!
4 Alligators and insects and general wildlife in Florida are a bit terrifying. Walking through our neighborhood trails often feels like I am on the set of Jurassic park. When the sand cranes let out their call, I swear it sounds like a teradactle. CAW CAW CAW!
5 I miss my old coworkers/job, a lot. While the pay/benefits/locality is far superior here in FL, I miss the amazing team I got to work with in IL. (not that I don’t have a good team here-I just have a few challenges, LOL) I don’t, however, miss working the weekends, LOL!!!
6 We’ve started to bond with new friends, and it’s nice to have people to call on when you need them. When you live far away from your family, you need a good support system and I feel like we are starting to build a good one.
7 My favorite part of FL is St. Pete. So far that is where we are talking about settling once our youngest is graduated and settled on her own. Crazy to think that is only 6 years away.
8 I’ve finally started running again after an off/on love affair with the sport. I can’t say I love it again yet, but it’s slowing becoming habit. The Florida heat is no joke to run in, and I look forward to fall temps where humidity is drastically decreased. We are running the Disney Wine and Dine half marathon in November, so it’s time to really get some miles in. Thankfully I’ve been consistently walking and intermittently running so I am quite confident it’ll be a fun race.
9 Our life has really changed with the decrease in taxes, and all the fun things to do here. We spend so much more time outside than we have in years, and this makes me happy.
10 Because of #9, my writing has decreased dramatically, but I am really trying to keep at it because I have always loved writing.
Have you ever taken a leap of faith and just moved across the country to a place you don’t have family/friends? (I was lucky enough to learn one of my good friends from the Air Force just lives 45 minutes north of us, but didn’t learn that until announcing my move here!) What are your favorite and not so favorite things about where you live?
Cheers!!
Here are a few of my favorite moments and new and old friends.
Michelle
20 minute low carb meal
Gosh I miss blogging. I really need to make more time for my passions and dreams.
So I decided to share the quickest and easiest meal, yet. And it’s healthy. Score!
Tonight’s meal was baked salmon with roasted asparagus.
Preheat the oven to 350. Mix 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, garlic, and lemon and let soften. Shmear over the salmon and season with salt and pepper. Top the salmon with quartered cherry tomatoes and capers and season with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until cooked through.
In a bowl toss trimmed asparagus with olive oil, salt, pepper and minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and add Parmesan cheese. Bake along with the salmon; takes about 20 minutes. 
Cheers!
Michelle
Washing my face
I just finished reading the book, “Girl, wash your face,” by Rachel Hollis. I believe I mentioned it in my last post, but while the majority of the book is common sense, it really opened my eyes back up to things I’ve been ignoring. Myself, self care, self love, motherhood, relationships, and friendships.
This past weekend my dear friend from Chicago came to visit. Her niece had a swimming competition in Orlando so she asked if she could come for the weekend. I said an absolute YES!!! In the last few years I’ve really struggled riding the fair weather friend bus, so I’ve stopped trying so hard to maintain one-sided friendships/relationships. And since my departure of said bus, my life and heart seem so much lighter. That’s something I really took away from reading, “Girl, wash your face.”
But with this particular friend, I’ve never felt our friendship was one-sided. She was one of the few that didn’t get tired of me saying “no” to invitations while my husband was deployed, and instead she understood and continued to be there for me when I needed someone the most. She IS one of the few that takes (and has for the last 6 years) the time to ask how I am, and I do the same for her. Too busy? Nope. Too tired? Nope. Have too much on her plate to chat for a few minutes even if it’s just via text? Nope Nope and Nope. These types of friends are hard to come by in life. And that is why I try to always be a good friend in return. I am not always successful but I sure do try without compromising my well being.
So we spent the weekend eating, drinking wine, staying up to late talking, eating and drinking some more and even got a couple beach visits in despite the chilly temps. And while the temps were a little chilly for my new Florida blood, I can tell you my heart was warmed having a close friend in town. If I were to have one complaint about our move here, it would be the fact that we don’t have close friends or family nearby. That being said, I hope to have several visitors that are trying to escape the bitter temps up north in the near future!
Here’s a few pics from our visit. I look forward to her coming back to visit, SOON!!
Do you find it hard to maintain friendships outside of your relationship with your spouse/significant other? How do you handle these challenges?
Cheers!
Michelle
Goals and self resetting
So I am realizing blogging on a regular basis without a laptop/computer is tough. That coupled with a few hiccups in life have led me to a lack of posting since January. WHA?! Yikes, I sure fell off the writing wagon, and quick.
With that, I’ll say I really want to start making more time for doing the things I love. Writing, cooking, running, and creating things in general. The book I am listening to, during my commute said that we need to write our goals down to help make them real. So there it is, in writing.
Ive committed to losing my post turning 45 weight (ok, it started at the age of 40 but who’s counting…) and am down 6-7 lbs give or take. While that doesn’t sound like a lot, I can feel a difference in inches which makes me happy. How am I doing it? A combo of intermittent fasting (fasting 18 hours with a 6 hour eating window), carb cycling, running/exercising 3 times per week has seemed to finally done the trick. While my weight loss has plateaued, my body fat and inches are steadily decreasing. #winning
We’re six months into our new Florida life, and I figure since I am making some big life changes, I might as well work on myself, too.
How do you balance your “things you love” and things you are required to do, you know…job, house, kids, hubby etc.?
Cheers!
Michelle
The bond between parents and their kids…
Growing up I remember how badly I wanted to be on my own, living independently and being able to come and go as I please. I remember how I couldn’t wait to get out from under my parent’s wings and be on my own. And for the first few years, I’ll admit, it was pretty great…even though I missed them, I truly enjoyed growing up on my own and having the pride of wearing the uniform every day.
But as I got older, I realize how very much I miss being close to my parents. While we are quite close emotionally, physically we are thousands of miles apart. This past weekend they came to visit, and I was reminded of the emotional closeness as my Mom hugged me tightly once she walked in to the door way of our new home. The endless hugs made my eyes swell up with tears and suddenly this almost 45 year old woman, started to cry. My parents have been my constant in my life. Lost loves, failed friendships, moving half way across the country and then back again and the one thing that remained tried and true? My parent’s love.
So if you are anything like me, and geographically distanced from your parents, make sure you make the time to reach out and let them know you love them. Being apart from my oldest daughter now, I can say what a huge difference it makes to hear that you are loved and appreciated. Save the “too busy” excuse and pick up the phone! 🙂
When was the last time you saw your parents? Do you live close/far from your folks?
Cheers!
Michelle
Two things…
So while most enjoy extended holiday breaks there was no rest for this weary chick. The alarm went off at O’dark 30 and I headed out to work. I was half asleep (as per usual) so didn’t notice the temps until I pulled into the parking lot and noticed the lady next to me getting all bundled up. What the heck was she doing!? This is Florida…it can’t be that cold, can it?
Yes. It can. It was 41 degrees as I stepped out of my Jeep. Brrrrrr. I had to dig out my winter coat from Alaska as my Chicago coat has gone MIA. Temps are going to continue to drop as the week goes on.
I’ve got the hubby on board with working out, at least for now. Since my toe is still extremely tender we did a modified circuit training workout.
I’ve also recommitted to watching my calorie intact and stayed on point until my daughter made white chocolate peppermint cookies. In my defense they were small and I only had two…I’m attempting intermittent fasting again, where I only eat in an 8 hour eating window. The cookie happened during that time so I’ll call it a win.
What are your goals for 2018? Does your spouse workout with you?
Happy Tuesday! Bear with me while I get back into this blogging thing. My goal is to share, inspire, motivate and have a place for me to share a little bit of my adventures with the world!
Cheers!
Michelle
Happy New Year’s Eve!!!
As we celebrate the last day of 2017 I have to smile from the inside out.
My family spent the evening at our (my) very first NFL game, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn’t disappoint. They pulled off a win with just seconds to go.
As I look back on this year one word comes to mind. Growth.
I let go of many fair weather friends, I stopped settling for less than what I deserved, andI chased my dreams of living near the beach.
So after surviving hurricane Irma, moving half way across the country, buying a new house, celebrating my 4 year anniversary on WordPress and starting a new career, I say this…Happy New Year!!! May all your dreams come true!!
Cheers,
Michelle
2018 goals
It’s been a while since I’ve posted. We’ve been so busy getting acclimated to our new home and I’ve got so much to learn at my new job. I no longer have a computer, either, so posting from my iPad mini can be a challenge.
That being said, I really want to commit to some solid goals this year. Here’s my list, in no particular order:
1. Start writing again…maybe even start the book I’ve been talking about for years. 3 days a week I want to commit to at least 30 minutes of writing, but hopefully more often than that. I also want to post 2x per week on the blog.
2. Run at least 3 races, but more would be great. No time goals, just more running. Lift weights 3x per week.
3. Lose 10 lbs and keep it off. Menopause has reared her ugly head, and my body isn’t responding well at all. Once we get settled I plan on seeking healthcare, but for now its eat less and move more…
4. Get back in the kitchen. Once each week work to create and/or learn a new recipe or technique.
5. Continue to explore Florida and all the beautiful things it has to offer. So far we’ve visited Disney and Epcot several times, attended the food and wine festival, been to Siesta Key beach, St. Pete beach, Clearwater, Tarpon Springs and Anna Maria Island. Anna Maria is by far our favorite but for a quick trip to a more local beach we’ve been going to Pass-a-Grille beach in St. Petersburg. Here’s a few pics from the past year!!
Highlights from 2017 are:
1. Hubby returning from deployment
2. Disney world family vacation
3. Getting a job at the VA in FLORIDA
4. Moving to Florida (obv!!!)
5. Exploring Florida with my family…
6. Being able to go to Florida in December-sure don’t miss the snow!!
How was your 2017? Have you set goals for 2018?
I hope you all had a great year, and are enjoying the holiday season!!
Cheers!!
Michelle
Just over a month.
Well it’s been over a month since I’ve moved to Florida. Close to 6 weeks if my memory serves me right. In that time I’ve encountered a new job, dealt with an Air Bnb flood, hurricane Irma and my Jeep having a near death experience.
So today I share the news that we closed on our new home and I couldn’t be happier. We can’t move in until next weekend but will use that time to clean and prep the house. I’ve been working out again and have been enjoying the beach life immensely. While my blogging has new sparse without a computer, I’m excited to check in. I promise to get back to everyone’s blogs soon! Here’s some pics!
How are you? What happened new for you this month?
Cheers!
Michelle
Movin' it with Michelle 