Cleaning obsession...

Oh my goodness...I am becoming a clean freak!

I gave these cloths to several of my friends in gift packs
and since hearing their raves reviews I purchased one for myself.
I am a wee bit obsessed and so impressed with this cloth that I have to share it...

BTW, in case you were wondering...
I am not affiliated with the company, nor am I receiving any remuneration from them.
The opinions here are all mine.

Made by a Canadian Company

This simple cloth is a game changer here in my kitchen.

I love how it works on the stainless steel appliances 

I don't know about you but our stainless appliances show every finger print

and this cloth works on windows...

I was total rubbish at window cleaning but now I am successful thanks to this cloth.

(Weird to be so excited about something so simple but it works so well.)

January is a month for purging...

I clean out drawers, closets, the fridge and pantry cupboards.

Make note of the "best before" and expiry dates on foods and medicines.

Toss out old condiments in the fridge and wipe the shelves.

I go through things in my closet 

recycle anything that may be pilled or looking shabby.

Make note of what I need to replace and lingerie is one thing I usually replace in January and lots are on sale.

Looking forward to seeing our hellebores bloom

Santa brought this magazine....

love looking at the beautiful pictures and reading the articles

dreaming and planning 

ahead

for the garden.

Gardeners love to peruse books for ideas and inspiration in the winter months.

I need to buy some cheerful forced Spring bulbs for the Humble Bungalow.

A colourful treat perks up our home on these grey days and lifts my spirits.

Hope your week is ticking along nicely.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Knit Mitts...not Knit Wits! (pattern included)

Knitted mitts for the oven are fun to make...
the pattern is easy to follow and they knit up quite quickly.
I like to have a knitting project on the go as it keeps my hands busy and out of the cookie jar.
Knitting is relaxing, rewarding and is a portable craft...

Bernats cotton comes in a very large skein, at just a tad under $10 at Walmart.
I am not normally a Walmart shopper but they have such great prices on this cotton that I make a special trip to the store and stock up. It comes in a variety of variegated of colours, I chose this green blend and I plan to return to buy the black, white and grey blend as well as the red pink and cream colour blend.

I took pictures of the pattern and I think you will be able to enlarge them.

I received an email from a reader who was concerned that I was violating copyright laws by posting this pattern...
Joan is an elderly woman in our knitting group and she has shared her pattern countless times so please do not worry that I am posting something illegally.

I have one more mitt to knit.

These mitts are a great Hostess gift and I like to add a few "granny style" dishcloths and some nice dish soap. One skein makes two pairs of mitts and many many dishcloths so these are a budget friendly gift.

Happy Knitting!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Wellness Journal...recollections from the dark moving towards a brighter future.

Have you ever kept a journal?

When I was going through a rough patch in early menopause I wrote in a gratitude journal and found it very helpful and soothing. Making note of 5 things everyday that I was grateful for was a positive attitude shift. This simple exercise was surprisingly very motivating and ultimately incredibly empowering.

Back then, my weight was "out of control" my self esteem was at rock bottom.
I had hit a wall...and felt overwhelmed and powerless.

When I was in the thick of it,
I had NO CLUE whatsoever why I was feeling this way.

Looking back, I now realize what was happening to my body and why my emotions were all over the map.
Menopause can cause so many ups and downs and unfortunately it does not come with a guide book to help us navigate this path.

I was not in tune to my own body.
I was giving so much time and energy to others who needed my help,
that I neglected to take care and do what was needed
in order to stay balanced, happy and healthy.

The tell tale symptoms were there...
low energy
stress
sleep disruptions resulting in fatigue
mood swings
mind fogs
food cravings that resulted in binge eating loads of carbs and chocolate

"Oh Woe is Me!" felt like my mantra.
I'm not proud of this period of my life but it must have happened for a reason.
This experience taught me a lot of valuable lessons...
it taught me how to establish boundaries and I had to learn to say no.
Very difficult for someone who was raised to give before receiving.

Shifting my focus from obsessing over my symptoms,
I took charge...
reading books on menopause, fitness, healthy foods and meditation.
It was hard work, took time, but I needed to do something to turn things around.
Acceptance and action was much more attractive over self loathing and self medicating.

So back to the journal...
it was a powerful tool in my journey back to wellness.

The journal was instrumental in instigating change.
So I am reinstating my habit and am starting a new journal.
It will be wellness and fitness focused and I will write in it every day.

Documenting my weight, walks, workouts, weight watcher points
and making notes of any emotions that may be contributing factors that threaten to derail my success and giving myself a written pat on the back when I succeed.


BTW ~ The kettle bells are an amazing workout and I am devoting 30 minutes every other day to this new routine, while still trying to walk everyday.

Will you join me on this road to wellness?

All you need is a

pen and some paper...

let's make our journals a beautiful and gentle record of our continued journey to better health.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Wednesday walking, weights and the winning entry...

Thank you for all your entries in the Humble Bungalow Blog Book giveaway.

Book written by Ted Kennedy Watson

It took awhile to write out all the names, fold them and mix them up in the bowl.

Finel Modernist bowl

Suz from Vancouver !

Please send me an email at bungalowhostess@gmail.com

with your name and mailing address and I will pop it in the post.

The weather has been very cold and walking has been a challenge...

but "no excuses!"

Wool hat, scarf, vest, puffer coat, gloves, boots...

I have not met very many people out walking or running.

It feels odd to be out and about in such a scenic place that usually teems with runners and walkers.

My skin and lips have been very dry as a result of the cold temperatures 

so I have been slathering on the lip gloss and face serum.

Drinking lots of tea to hydrate and offer some warmth on the inside!

I am adding some weight training to my regime.

Our bungalow is far too small to install a treadmill or elliptical so free weights are going to be it.

I will do some research online and look for an exercise program.

Do you use weights?

Is there a website that you can recommend?

How is your New Year shaping up so far?

Any big plans?

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

New Year walking and weight loss...

We opted for a stay at home dinner this past New Years Eve.

Bubbly, bread and butter...

 Caesar Salad

Alaska King Crab Legs

A rather festive menu and the last meal of the year...

time to get back on track and whittle away some pounds.

Come rain or come shine I will be walking.

No more excuses.

Walking is so much nicer when the sun shines

 but we cannot expect sunny days at this time of year.

Walking is convenient and free...

no scheduled time constraints

no gym fees

no special equipment.

 Weight loss is my motivation and fresh air the benefit.

Sometimes I need "a carrot" to get me out the door...

once I am out and about I am fine, 

the challenge is prying myself away from a book, my knitting or the Internet!

Walking while

running an errand

posting a letter

visiting Mother

buying coffee

getting a few groceries.

How are you doing with your fitness routine?

Do you have a membership at the gym?

Do you like to do Yoga, swim, bike or run on a treadmill?

I like to use the scale as my motivator and when I see results I reward myself with non food treats...

Flowers

a new lip gloss

fancy tea

nail polish

a thrift shop find

Staying committed is tough and we all need to keep our focus on our long term goals.

I wish it was easier and faster to get to these goals and that we can take heart by  indulging more often in things that do not derail our progress.

If you find it daunting

start small and see how it goes...

 20 minutes a day and then work up to 45 or 60 minutes

you'll be pleased to see the results.

If you feel better walking with a partner see if you can find a friend who wants to walk...

or 

join a walking group.

GOOD LUCK!

Cheerio readers, 

I'm off for my walk now...

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~