New Year - update

So, nearly a month has gone by - time to check on how the new year plans are going!

Get Healthy
Sleep

• Completed sleep re-training - hooray! Martin's still up at 5am for a bit, but 8pm-5am is a good start
  
• Got the supplies for bedroom partition, now just have to install
  
• Getting to bed by 11pm some nights, so slowly better
  

Nutrition

• Jodi from Citrition came to visit this week and we're off to a great start! Week 1 of 4 goal: eat fruit with breakfast everyday for everybody (13yr old, 13 mo old, and parents - many months old!)
  
• Have been cooking at least 4 days per week
  
• Leftovers have not made it to work much. Gotta grab those on way out the door.
  
• Need more variety, next shopping trip - i promise!
  
• Taking vitamins at least every other day
  

Exercise

• Met with trainer and got a good supplemental routine. That said, have not been to the gym as much as I want. Hopefully will be less crazy by next week
  
• Teenager has been going to martial arts regularly - Go Maggie!
  
• Baby loves visiting the Museum of Natural History on the weekends. Could care less about the exhibits...loves to run in the wide open halls!

Get Organized

• Created the chore list, just need to actually print and put into action
  
• Event list there, just need to fill/check it
  
• Goals list - yeah....should make one of these

Get Happy

• Yoga - making time for practice every other day...progress
  
• Bath - haven't gotten to that yet (for relaxation that is...have bathed this year)
  
• Walk - getting a bit more in :)
  
• Read - lots more of this, might even get to bookclub meeting this month!
  
• Visit - Noodles with Lynn yesterday, check!
  
• ReConnect - date night Feb 7, check!

Overall, not bad progress. Will keep striving to strive and find reasons to smile through the chaos!
'Til next time,
It's a BusyLife,
Danielle

New Year

The past 3 months have been the busiest of my life! Many many work dinners and events, social calls for me and the family, conducting a NYC high school search for our 13-yr old like it was college, rush to work, rush to daycare, rush home, rush rush rush!...all the while feeling overwhelmed and underperforming. Not a great place to be for an overachiever.

So - 2010 finds me and a bazillion other people on websites like facebook and 43Things starting off with resolutions and promises anew for a more peaceful and productive year!

Happiness for me starts with getting healthy, getting organized and getting happy!

Get Healthy

Sleep

Our little guy just turned one year this month and has started waking at night again, so we are on Day 4 of sleep re-training for baby so we can all sleep.

• Complete sleep re-training - December
  
• Buy supplies for bedroom partition - January
  
• Set date for assistance with installation - January
  
• Get to bed by 10:30pm at least three times per week

Nutrition

Healthy eating is the fuel needed to live a BusyLife, so it is no surprise that a malaise has settled over me at the same time as a decline in the healthy habits our family once enjoyed.
To kick the year into gear:

• Appointment with family nutritionist - January
  
• Resolve to cook 5-6 days per week – schedule created
  
• Bring leftovers from said cooking nights for lunch (also saves $$!)
  
• Expose the kids (and adults) to more varied and healthy foods
  
• Take vitamins regularly

Exercise

Need more exercise in all our lives!

• Appointment with trainer for new routine
  
• Qualified for NYC marathon in November 2010
  
• Schedule gym nights for both husband and me
• Get teenager to attend martial arts classes twice a week
  
• More playtime for baby outside of the apartment (Saturday classes, museums, playground)
  

Get Organized

I’m always happier when I feel like I’ve accomplished my goals. Whether those goals are big (career change, marathon, baby) or small (vacuum the rug, organize my purse, put away that pile of clothes in the corner), happiness for me begins with organization.

• Chore list – no more guesswork or complaining, we all have a job to do and know when to do it
  
• Event list – all our outside activities are in one place so conflicts are to a minimum
  
• Goals list – posting a list of goals for the family in a prominent place (new apartment, healthy eating, more sleep)

Get Happy

Finally, a BusyLife is all about balance. Need a few little “me” moments to recharge and refresh so I am up for any challenge!

• Yoga – make time for morning and evening practice everyday again
  
• Bath – amazing what a quiet soak with a book can do for the psyche
  
• Walk – make time to walk to work more
  
• Read – at least one non-work related book per month
  
• Visit – at least one get together with friends and family per month
  
• ReConnect – at least one date night per month
  

My goodness…that’s a lot of lists! Well…that’s the plan for the coming year. Ambitious, but I think doable and ultimately will lead us to a very happy and relaxed place once complete.
‘Til next time,
It’s a BusyLife,
Danielle

Healthcare should be like car insurance

Ok, I know I am way oversimplifying the matter, but I think healthcare reform has gotten so complex and so hotly debated, that some simplification might be in order.

Everyone who owns a car in this country, needs some form of insurance. It is regulated and varies from state to state, but is still a legal requirement to owning a car. People with more money pay up for better insurance with greater coverage. People with less money generally choose the bare minimum and if you are caught driving without insurance, you pay fines.

Why can't this model work for healthcare? It's not perfect, by any means, but it's comprehensive. It's not an entitlement, but it's comprehensive. Those with more money can afford better, those with less buy what they are able, and those without are fined because if they get into an accident without it they will be a burden on the system and that is discouraged.

Why couldn't this work for healthcare? Why is one side of the aisle trying to institutionalize healthcare while the other side wants the wild West? Let's just get this done people, because my premiums from my employer sponsored plan are up nearly 500% in the past decade and if I recall correctly, we haven't seen that kind of inflation in the general economy.

Til next time,
It's a BusyLife,
Danielle

Some days...update

After my much needed rant session yesterday, the day improved moment by moment, and many of you helped remind me that perspective is important, and, as my sister reminded me, "life ebbs and flows."
The progression from bad day, to ok day, to great evening:
- 11:15am baby up, at doctor's moved appointment, and no ear infection (yeah!)
- 12:30pm still upset in general, argued with husband, realized mid-argument not to argue with person trying to help you
- 12:50pm at Apple store genius appointment wonderful husband made and found running chip fix (buy new one...love/hate Apple!)
- 2pm great stroll home on bright sunny fall day through park with happy baby
- 3pm naptime for everyone
- 4pm finally get out for that 5-mile run, best time in three years!
- 6pm daughter returns home from weekend away, dinner, family time
- 9pm Yankees game on, quality time with husband
- midnight Yankees win game and in world series!
- 12:05am off to bed with smile, great end to the day

'til next time,
It's a BusyLife.
- Danielle

Some days just don't go your way

Ah, the beauty of a blog - someplace to vent! It's been one of those days, and it's only 10:26am, sigh. I'd like to think of myself as a positive individual, but I'm going to lay it all out there, if for no other reason, to feel like it took alot to get to me today!

- it's dreary

- woke up with a headache

- baby refused to nurse, started pulling at ear (maybe ear infection?)

- went back to sleep after some tylenol (thank you wonderful husband!), still woke with headache

- missed 8:30am race, but planned on 'virtual race' with nike+ ipod chip

- chip not working, blogs contradict each other and still not working!

- spent 1/2 hour searching for ipod armband to no avail (still no breakfast)

- baby would not go down for nap for 1/2 hour (I hope he's sleeping in there)

- now headache, hungry, grumpy, and no run to count toward marathon entry requirements

- baby sleeping through doctor's appt to see if he has ear infection (10:30)

- found out friends who came to visit got parking tix (sorry guys!)

Ugh, just one of those days and it's not even noon. Did get an email from a friend that is helping snap me out of it (thx Lynn!). It had this picture:

Uh...sorry, I know this was supposed to be cute, but just disturbing, no?

Anywhooo time to scrap it and find time for that book about how to find time :)....serenity now - ommmmmmmmm.

'til next time,

It's a BusyLife.

Danielle

H1N1 Update teleconferences Oct 8 and 9

In an effort to give you the most up to date information about the H1N1virus, the White House Office of Public Engagement, in coordination withthe Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Disease Controland Prevention, will hold informational conference calls on this subject.Below is a list of conference call information pertaining to differentcommunities. Please feel free to join any number of these calls. Topicswill include prevention, the importance of vaccination, vaccine safety andavailability.


THURSDAY, October 8
11:00a EDT H1N1, Pregnant Women and Maternal Health
Participant: (800) 553-0327
Title: Maternal Health H1N1 Call *Provide in lieu of passcode*


1:00p EDT General H1N1 Outreach Call with Organizations of AnyBackground
Participant: (800) 230-1085
Title: H1N1 Briefing *Provide in lieu of passcode*


1:45p EDT H1N1 and Children Under 5 and Children with High-RiskConditions
Participant: (800) 288-8961
Title: Children H1N1 *Provide in lieu of passcode*


2:00p EDT H1N1 and Persons with Cancer and non-HIVImmunosuppressive Conditions
Participant: (800) 230-1096
Title: Cancer H1N1 Call *Provide in lieu of passcode*


2:00p EDT H1N1 and African Americans
Participant: (800) 288-8960
Title: African American H1N1 Call *Provide in lieu of passcode*


7:00p EDT H1N1 and Pacific Islanders
Participant: (800) 230-1059
Title: Pacific Islanders H1N1 Call *Provide in lieu of passcode*


FRIDAY, October 9
11:00a EDT H1N1 and Persons with HIV/AIDS
Participant: (800) 288-8961
Title: HIV\AIDS H1N1 Call *Provide in lieu of passcode*


12:00p EDT H1N1 and Persons with Cardiovascular Disease
Participant: (800) 230-1951
Title: Cardiovascular H1N1 Call*Provide in lieu of passcode*


1:00p EDT H1N1 and Persons with Diabetes
Participant: (800) 230-1085
Title: Diabetes H1N1 *Provide in lieu of passcode*


1:00p EDT H1N1 and Persons with Asthma
Participant: (800) 230-1074
Title: Asthma H1N1 Call *Provide in lieu of passcode*


2:00p EDT H1N1 and Persons with Disabilities
Participant: (800) 230-1951
Title: Disabilities H1N1 Call *Provide in lieu of passcode*


2:00p EDT H1N1, Immigrants and non-English speakers (andincluding Latino and Asian organizations)
Participant: (800) 230-1096
Title: Immigrants\Non English Speaking H1N1 *Provide in lieu of passcode*

Fast and easy dinner - Crabmeat Rolls

For a fancy looking sandwich night, we created a budget-friendly version of our favorite lobster roll from The Mermaid Inn which has quickly become a family favorite. Admittedly, I'm a terrible cooking instructor, as I am constantly experimenting and changing recipes with my "add a little curry to the marinara" here (which is FABU) and "I'm out of this ingredient, how would this be" there attitude. My flexible attitude in the kitchen makes for some great meals, but becomes very hard to nail down on paper or pass along a recipe...but here goes!

We've become fans of one of my childhood favorites for budget cooking - imitation crabmeat. While it's definitely not up to par with Alaskan King crabmeat, it's an affordable, family-friendly alternative that still gets seafood on the table and breaks up the "what chicken dish is for dinner" monotony. Besides, it's ready-to-eat, so you don't have to cook it or deal with raw meat juice to clean up after. We've sauteed in olive oil with pasta, made a budget version of paella, and our new favorite - sandwiches!

This recipe is super fast (talking 5 mins!) unless you have to thaw the crabmeat, but even then, I only spent 15 mins in the kitchen last night, and just finished the leftovers for lunch...mmmm! I thought thawing the imitation crabmeat would be alot of brain damage, but it's either an overnight in the refrigerator (had NO time for that), or under warm/cool running water. Solution: I put the package in the sink under running water, and finished the dishes from lunch (yes, they'd been sitting in the sink most of the day. I'm happy for you if this never happens if your house) and by the time I was done the meat was thawed!


Imitation Crabmeat Salad Sandwiches
Serves: 4
ingredients:

4 brioche rolls
1 lb package imitation crabmeat, thawed
1/2 cup mayonaise (we use light mayo)
salt, pepper, basil flakes, paprika, or whatever else you like to taste!


Toast brioche rolls, I put them in my oven straight on the rack for 5 mins on 350 degrees, but only because I don't have a toaster oven handy. While toasting rolls, throw some frozen corn in the microwave or whatever side you are having with dinner. In a large bowl, break up the crabmeat by hand to smaller pieces, but not too small, large chunks are good. Add mayo and seasonings and mix. Add heaping scoops to rolls and serve.


'til next time,
It's a BusyLife
-Danielle