Wellness In Progress: November 2024

[itsfi]

Hey there, BIC! I don't know about you, but keeping up (or even just doing) things for my own wellness or self-care can slide off my radar or just get pushed aside for some other activity. That happens even more often at the end of the year and with the holidays.

Here we have a game of wellness bingo for November. I thought it would be a fun way to try to keep at it, or to keep it top of mind, by making a little game of it. I also thought this might be a good way to get a leg up on resolutions for the new year. Wellness takes work - let's do the work together, BIC!

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

🌻  There are a couple of ways to participate. You can aim every week (or every month) to try to check off a different 5-boxes in a row - vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. OR, to add a different take to this wellness challenge, you can use this sheet to see how many boxes you can check off this month. Those are just 2 ways to participate; I'm sure there are other ways and if there's an approach that you find works better for you to get in a little more self care, more regularly, please do share! 

BONUS CHALLENGE: This challenge is certainly one you can do on your own. It's also something we can take part in together! Share about the activities you did to earn each square. I love hearing from this Community - I learn about new things I wouldn't have thought of otherwise. Or, share challenges or questions.

🎀  We are all at different stages of our wellness / self-care journey. I'm not at expert at all at this and if there's an activity that is not something you are ready for or that you shouldn't engage in, make the adjustments you need to, or just skip the activity. For instance, the first square is to take a walk outside - if it's storming outside or you're in an area where it is not safe to walk outside (e.g., weather advisory, shelter-in-place, etc.), then skip this one and stay indoors. Be safe. For some of these activities, particularly the physical ones, please consult with your physician or health care provider before starting, if and as appropriate. 

⏲  The time periods I included are arbitrary - if you want or can do more than a 10 minute walk outside, go for it. If you're starting out or if you're crunched for time, aim for 5 minutes and work up when, if and as appropriate for you.

🗒  Wondering about the activities mentioned in the squares? Check this out - Wellness In Progress: November 2024 - Activity Summary

[Mellmars1185]

@caitbird Great wellness progress! Listening to music cam be very therapeutic! I am enjoying your 🎶✨Song of the Day and Music Thread!✨🎶

I love brussle sprouts and roots veggies this time of year. Did you roast the pears also?

[caitbird]

@Mellmars1185  thank you so much! I agree, music can have such a great impact on your mood! Glad you are enjoying the thread too. And it is definitely the time of year for brussels sprouts and root veggies. We just had the pairs fresh, they were very good 😊

[peculiarzmakeup]

Wow! I love how you organized and did so many well activities, I hope your birthday month is going fantastic your amazing great work 🙂 @caitbird 

[caitbird]

@peculiarzmakeup  aww thank you so much, you are so sweet, I really appreciate it! 💜

[itsfi]

You’re doing amazingly with your wellness activities @caitbird! 💯 agree to staying hydrated 💦 - in fact, your post inspired me to get up to fill my bottle. 👍🏼 Your gourmand candles sound so good - there’s just something about walking into a room or being in a room with those scents. Comfy, fall feels!! 

Your dinner last night sounds delicious!! 😋 Oooh, pears. ‘tis the season for pears! 🍐 Do you and your family have a preference certain types of pears? 

[caitbird]

@itsfi  thank you so much! I thought I didn't get as many activities done last week as I'd hoped, but when I was typing up this list I realized I had done more than I thought, so 👍

I like all pears, but my favorites are probably Asian pears, which I rarely get to have. We also have 2 pear trees in our yard and this was our first year getting pears from them - we got 10! Which was very exciting.

[Samtian]

@caitbird Oh I wish I had a Dunkin Donuts anywhere near me. Great progress!

[caitbird]

@Samtian  Dunkin is definitely a guilty pleasure of mine haha! Thank you!

[itsfi]

I didn't get BINGO this past week, but I was able to get in a few self-care moments. 

👟  Take A Walk - I've been trying to get in a walk every day; some days are better than others. I did get get at least one in this week - the weather has gotten a little crisp and it was nice to get in some fresh air.

🍲  Try / Do Something New - I made fish soup (mostly) from scratch. In a semi Top Chef / Chopped! moment, I decided to try my hand at fish soup with just what I had on hand at home. It wasn't bad, but there's certainly room for improvement. 😉

☕  Treat Yourself - I did x 2. 😅 Shopping (BOPIS - Buy Online, Pickup In Store 🛍) and then I decided to treat myself at a cafe I like to visit when I'm downtown.

🕯  Aromatherapy - I've been burning candles all week this week. A lot of fall feels with the Nest Pistachio & Wild Fig and Nest Autumn Plum being a lovely combination. 

👩🏻‍🍳 Make A Dish Using Seasonal Vegetables - it was really a dish with one seasonal vegetable - Brussel sprouts. 

🎷  Listen to Music - I've been listening to jazz as I get ready in the mornings. Check out some of the tunes other members of the Community are listening to 🎶✨Song of the Day and Music Thread!✨🎶 (and feel free to share your music choices as well!)

🍎🥗 Eat Your Fruits & Veggies - it's been a salad for at least one meal a day and the SugarBee apples have made for a delicious mid-afternoon snack.

I'm going to try to keep track of how many wellness activities I can get in this month. There are certain things I do daily (or try to), but for now, I'm just tracking one per day if I do an activity.

[Mellmars1185]

@itsfi Wonderful wellness week! I find walking in the crisp weather keeps me walking quickly to stay warm! It also keeps us alert. I love that you tried a new dish. Sometimes I find I get stuck in a rotation of the same meals. This challenge will definitely get me out of that rut. Your candle and music routine sound soothing and relaxing. Great job taking care of you!

[itsfi]

Thank you so much @Mellmars1185! 100% agree about crisper weather being a motivator for picking up the pace when I walk. Yeah, I hear ya too on doing the same meals. It has its pros and cons. My goal is to try out a different recipe once a month. We'll see how that pans out but I'm going to give it a try.

[Mellmars1185]

@itsfi If SEPHORiA wad held in the colder months, I don't know how we would keep up with you! 😆

[itsfi]

Hahahaha @Mellmars1185! 😂 🚶‍♀️ 🏃🏻‍♀️ 

I dunno about a colder location though - clothes for cold temperature take up more room in the suitcase and that means less space for all the stuff. 🤪 I suppose another piece of luggage could be the answer … lol 

[peculiarzmakeup]

Wow! Awesome wellness week, fish soup actually sounds so good and I bet you made it delicious I’m so glad it was still warm enough for a walk, you did excellent @itsfi 

[itsfi]

Thank you @peculiarzmakeup! The fish soup is a work in progress, I think. I have been thinking of other spices to add to it. Next time, I may go for a Caribbean or Thai version of the soup. 🤔 That will take advanced planning as I'll need to make sure I have the right seasonings. 

[peculiarzmakeup]

I think it’s neat to step into a new venture and something you’ve never made! Kudos! For Thai I know coconut milk is a really good base, I know your working with fish, I’ve had it with shrimp. Just an  idea. I bet it’s fun playing around with it it’s all part of the process! Looking forward to hearing more 😎❤️ @itsfi 

[itsfi]

Oh, that's a great idea @peculiarzmakeup. Thank you! I didn't even have coconut milk on my radar but it sounds like it would be delicious! 😋

[Samtian]

@itsfi What are Sugarbee apples? Fish soup sounds interesting! 

[itsfi]

@Samtian, Sugar Bee apples - they're like a cross between the crispness of Honeycrisp apples and the sweetness of Fuji apples. 😋 nom, nom, nom

Fish soup is like a variation of seafood soup but all I had at home was fish, no seafood. 

Spoiler

- extra virgin olive oil

- onion (diced)

- garlic (minced)

- tomatoes (chopped) or in a pinch, can of diced tomatoes

- herbs & spices - oregano, thyme, basil, parsley, salt & pepper

- fish, cut into 2-inch pieces - firm white fish works really well. I used salmon and cod this time because that's what I had at home. 

- veggies 

- optional: sriracha or Tabasco sauce, or red chili flakes

- optional: dry white wine (i.e., sauvignon blanc), clam juice, tomato paste

- optional: any veggies - spinach, bok choy, yellow squash, okra, celery, zucchini, green/red/yellow/orange peppers, etc.

Prep: Clean and cut up fish (1.5" - 2" pieces), season with salt & pepper and other spices

1. Heat medium heat, olive oil. 

2. Add onion and saute. I'll add heartier veggies here as well.

3. Add garlic, parsley and other aromatics and stir for a couple of minutes. 

4. Add tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring gently.

5. Add "wet" ingredients - chicken broth (and if desired, dry white wine, clam juice) and let simmer - if you included heartier veggies in the earlier steps, simmer until those have softened (not too crisp, not mushy, unless, of course, you like the veggies that way).

6. Add fish and leafy green veggies and bring to simmer until fish is cooked through (flakes apart easily) ~ 5 minutes. Remember, the fish will continue to cook in the broth after you turn off the flame. 

7. Add additional seasoning, as desired

Serve by itself. Or with bread or rice. I poured the soup over some quinoa.

[Samtian]

@itsfi Ooh yep both of those sound delicious, thank you for the recipe!

[caitbird]

@itsfi  love this! I am really enjoying following this thread, it is so fun and inspiring to hear about everyone's self care routines, both regular staples as well as trying new things! thank you for mentioning the music thread too!

P.S. how funny, I am actually burning Nest Pistachio & Wild Fig 🕯 right now too! You know, when I first had lit it I got more of a maple-y scent vibe, but this time I am definitely picking up on the chocolate like you mentioned. Isn't it interesting how scents can change like that?