Dawson Update

April 8, 2014 / ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

Sorry for the lack of regular posts here on the blog. It has been a busy past few weeks and the blog has been pushed to the side for the time being. But don’t worry, once the craziness of our move and Adam’s new job has died down I will have plenty of time to devote to writing posts and giving you guys recipes!

I thought that I would drop in today and give you a quick update on what’s going on here in the Dawson house. If you recall my husband, Adam, was offered a job at Aon Benfield in Chicago. Once we found out and talked about it, we decided to make the move to Chicago and thus begun our search for a new apartment. Luckily it didn’t take that long and we found a great place in the Lakeview area of Chicago. We both fell in love with the area and the variety of things that are available to us there. It’s also a short commute for Adam which is pretty much one of the main reasons we were moving. We signed the lease and will be moving towards the end of May.

Now, I’m not sure how familiar many of you are with downtown living, but it tends to be a little bit of a smaller space. Our new apartment is a 1 bedroom, 1 bath, with a living room/dining room and kitchen. While it is not super tiny, it is a lot smaller than our 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, home here in Sycamore. So we have been slowly going through our things and downsizing to only the essentials. At times, I look around and start to panic and think, “There is no way that we will be able to fit into this new space!” But I know that once we actually make the move and get everything organized, it will all work just fine. It’s also nice to get down to the bare essentials, sometimes we get so bogged down with “stuff” that we think we need but we really don’t. While I may hate moving, it does help to keep us from becoming pack rats because who wants to move a bunch of useless things? Not I.

Stuff we really don’t need…

I have also been feeling my way into the health and nutrition arena of the world to see where I can fit in and start my own career. There are numerous programs to become certified in a variety of things, so I’m not worried about finding the right fit. I am finding that I am most passionate about the food/nutrition side of things and have been leaning towards continuing my education in that sense. While I have nothing definite yet, it is exciting to plan my own future and think about what I really want to do. After the move I will be able to devote 100% of my time to pursuing that and I can’t wait!

That’s pretty much all the excitement that is going on in my little corner of the world. Thankfully it seems that the weather is slowly turning to spring here in the midwest and it has been a little warmer. I really do love this time of year when I go outside and can actually smell things like trees and grass and flowers. It’s also nice to not have to put on 6 thousand layers just to walk to the car and not freeze to death. Hopefully it stays this way and we can finally enjoy spring! I hope that you all have a great week and I will talk to you soon!

Beautiful morning for a spring time run!

Changes; They are a-coming

March 11, 2014 / ktbuchs87 / 3 Comments

I know this post is a day late, I’m sorry. But as you are about to learn, it has been a busy weekend for us and things are about to get busier.

My husband, Adam, has been searching for a job since about last November. He has applied to any and everything that is within his skill set and all over the US. All of that searching finally paid off and he was offered a job with Aon Benfield as a Catastrophe Risk Analyst. He happily accepted and will start with them in June. Now the changes start happening. His new job is in downtown Chicago, he will literally work right across the street from Millenium Park. From where we are now, the commute would be over 2 hours each way. Not really the ideal situation, so after much talking and debating we decided that it would be best for us to move closer to his job. What would spring be without the Dawson’s looking for and moving to a new place? While the idea of moving is not the most appealing to me (I’ve moved every single year for the past 5 years), we are both excited to start this next chapter of our lives.

Yes I made my husband take a picture in front of his new building. Isn’t he cute?

Needless to say, I have had many emotions about this whole situation. I am so happy and proud of Adam for getting an amazing job that will both challenge him and allow him to excel. I am excited to move to the more “adult” phase of life, complete with “real” jobs (will we ever really feel like adults or qualify our jobs as real people jobs? Eh, maybe). I’m also scared to leave the comfort of our town and routine. We have lived in this area for 7+ years. I know everything here, I’m familiar with it’s rhythms and motions. I like it here, this area has been so good to us. I’m sad to leave my job. While I knew going in that it wasn’t a long term job, they have become like a second family. Sure there have been days when dealing with a 2 year old and a 9 month old have been challenging and tiring, but it has been fun to see those two grow up. I’m also nervous about pursuing my passions, specifically in the health realm. I have so many doubts about myself and I’m worried about failure, yet I know that it is time to go after what I want to do. As you can see, I have run the full gamut of emotions, and I am sure that there will be more to come as we get closer to the move and Adam’s start date.

But the most important thing is that even though I might be scared or nervous or stressed or anxious, I know that we can do this. I know that I can do this. So often in the past I have fought and resisted change and it has only caused more hardship. While I can’t promise that I will full embrace all the change that is about to happen or not occasionally have a breakdown, I can say that I am going to do my best to be flexible and understanding with this process. I’m not afraid to ask for help or communicate when I have too much on my plate anymore. I have such an amazing support system, with Adam as well as with my family and friends. I know they will offer as much help as they can and in any way they can. I am blessed to have all of them in my life.

So please forgive me in advance if I’m not posting as regularly. We have a lot to get done in these next few months and I’ll be putting most of my energy into that. I’ll keep you all updated as much as I can along the way! On another note, any of you who live in Chicago have any advice about where to live there? If you have any tips, advice, or info PLEASE send it my way! Have a great week everyone!

Love this man!

Holiday Night Snacking

December 9, 2013 / ktbuchs87

Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Years and all the holidays in between. This is the season of good cheer…. and food. So much food. I love food and this is the time of year that some of my favorite dishes are made (sweet potato casserole anyone?). Having all this delicious food around used to be very difficult for me and would usually end in a late night binging fest. Thankfully I have been able to control that unhealthy habit and my holiday eating is much better than it used to be.

Our pretty little Christmas tree!

These past few weeks though I have noticed that after dinner I have been going back to the kitchen to look for something else to eat. I have no problem with having a little dessert or snack after my dinner, but this snacking is happening even if I am full from dinner. Before I started to eat healthier I would never have thought twice about why I was eating when I wasn’t even hungry, but now I know to stop and figure out why I am wandering to the fridge after a full meal.

In this case, I know it’s because there is just food there. After two Thanksgivings (one with Adam’s family and one with mine), there were plenty of leftovers that we were sent home with, including an apple cranberry crisp that I made and tahini brownie bites. I am not one to waste food, so I eat it. I know this habit can lead to binging on food so I have thought of a few tips that can help curb this “extra” eating. If you know that this is a problem for you, you can use some or all of these ideas to help your snacking.

House in our neighborhood with a CRAZY amount of lights. Pretty sure you could see this house from outer space!

Make sure you eat enough throughout the day. This is fairly self explanatory, but make sure that you are getting enough food at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Eating enough throughout the day helps curb that nagging feeling after dinner that you didn’t get enough food and you need to eat something more.

Wait 20 minutes after dinner. Before heading straight for dessert the minute you finish your dinner, wait just 20 minutes. Most times just waiting that 20 minutes will give your dinner time to start digesting and you won’t even want to eat anything more. If you do still feel like having something extra, go ahead but make it a small portion.

Plan for a dessert. If you are someone that needs to have a little something extra after dinner, that is totally fine. My husband always wants just a little dessert after his dinner and he makes it work with his eating throughout the day. I don’t really count calories (and neither does he) but if I know that I am going to want to have a piece of that crisp after my dinner, I factor it into my other meals and eat just a little less at lunch or dinner.

Take up a hobby. If you have the habit of always eating at night, think about taking up a hobby to occupy your time. I like to read, and I have recently taken up cross stitching (yes I realize I am like a 65 year old woman). Keeping my mind as well as my hands busy makes it harder to eat brownie bites. If reading or cross stitching isn’t your thing, try yoga or crossword puzzles or jigsaw puzzles, or whatever interests you!

Sip some tea. Tea is a really great way to feel like you are getting a dessert without actually eating a dessert. There are so many different flavors out there like pumpkin spice, cranberry, and even chocolate tea! I love sitting down after dinner with a good book and a mug of hot tea. It’s a great way to wind down before bed and keeps me from eating when I really don’t need to eat.

These are the tips that help me from mindlessly eating after dinner. I am not trying to bash dessert or night snacking at all, I don’t think that they are bad things. I am saying that eating when you aren’t hungry or just because food is there is not a healthy habit to have. Mindlessly eating is never a good thing and can lead to binge eating or eating too much. There is no reason that you can’t enjoy your favorite dishes this holiday season. Don’t feel guilty for making a conscious decision to eat any food. If you do find yourself indulging when you don’t need to, find out why you did, make the choice to not do that again, and then move on. Beating yourself up or falling into a downward spiral of unhealthy eating because of one slip-up is not good. Getting right back on track at the next meal is the best way to stay on your healthy journey!

We got snow yesterday! Yay!!

What are some ways that you avoid mindless or needless night snacking? I would love to hear your tips and be able to share them with all my readers!

Not Your Typical Thanksgiving

November 25, 2013 / ktbuchs87

Thanksgiving. Not counting Halloween, this is pretty much the beginning of the holiday season. Soon you will be surrounded by friends, family, and of course food. This is also the time of year that everyone is offering their best “how to avoid holiday weight gain” tips and millions of different ways to make your favorite holiday meals healthy. I thought about writing a post like that, because you don’t have to enter the holiday season throwing all healthy habits to the wind, but I felt like what I had to say would be just repeating a lot of what you already know or will read in the coming days. Honestly, most of you know that eating fifteen pieces of pumpkin pie isn’t doing you or your health any good no matter how delicious it may be.

I know that a lot of you might be anxious about the upcoming smorgasbord that is Thanksgiving, especially if you just started to eat better or adopt healthier habits. Many of you might be worried about undoing all the hard work that you have put into your health journey and you’re thinking of how you are going to navigate your way through the sea of food that is about to come your way. I know exactly how you feel, I’ve been there too. I’ve stressed over how to eat well during the holidays. I’ve fretted about family asking questions about my weight and why I won’t eat this or that. I’ve felt hopeless and alone and not exactly sure how to deal with it all. It has taken me awhile to get to this realization: don’t let food control your life. Food has so much power over many of us so that we let it ruin or dictate our holidays. A time where we should be visiting friends, spending quality time with family, decking the halls and singing fa la la la la, we spend stressing over food.

Yes, food is important. It fuels us, nourishes us, and (sometimes) tastes amazing. Don’t get me wrong, I love food and I truly believe that it is a key factor in a healthy life. But it isn’t everything. I’ve wasted too many holiday gatherings focusing on food and missing out on all the other things that go on. The inside jokes between cousins or finding the best spot to hang my favorite ornament or the quality time that I get to spend with my mom talking about our lives while we make the ever famous pumpkin muffins (blue wrappers have nuts!). I’m sad to say I’ve probably missed some really great moments because I was worrying about what I would eat or that other people were worrying about what I would eat.

Don’t let food take over your life this holiday season. There are other things that are so much better than thinking about how many potatoes you can eat without feeling guilty. It will be difficult for some of you to totally let go of your food worry, me included, but by holding on to all that stress, you’re letting something silly like food take control of your life and happiness. So do me a favor this Thanksgiving. Take a deep breath, release all your anxiety over food, and throw yourself fully into all the other much more fun things about the day. Enjoy the parade, play a game of football in your backyard, give Grandma a big hug, and be thankful for all of the amazing things you have in your life. I promise you, that is a much better way to spend your holiday! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Always on My Mind

August 12, 2013 / ktbuchs87

Today’s post might seem to go against what this whole blog is about, but stick with me on this one, I think that this might just be an important message for you to hear.

I spend a lot of my time thinking about food and healthy eating. Not very shocking information, I know. I write a blog about healthy eating, so it makes perfect sense that a lot of my time and energy is focused on learning more, seeing what information is out there, and ultimately trying to help others reach their health goals. I enjoy doing all of these things, otherwise I wouldn’t do this. I am also passionate about food. I love everything about food, from the shopping all the way to the eating, I thoroughly enjoy immersing myself in all things food. It helps me to be able to work with and know every aspect of food in order to help you get the best possible information and advice I can give. I relish (haha, food pun!) being in the kitchen, creating a new and healthy dish to then share with you guys. I believe that everyone should feel comfortable in the kitchen and be more than capable of producing a healthy meal with minimal effort.

Here is where things are going to get a little contradictory; sometimes, I spend too much time thinking about food and healthy eating. I sometimes realize I am constantly thinking about food, or the next meal, or what the healthiest way to eat is, or what new research is coming out about eating properly, or new foods/recipes I should make. It can sometimes reach a point where all I’m thinking about are these things and not actually enjoying the benefits of leading a healthy life.

You might be thinking, wait, wait, wait… How can thinking about being healthy lead to you being unhealthy? This makes no sense!! I told you this post might get a little dicey! I can only speak for myself, but constantly thinking and planning and dwelling on healthy living can make me feel frazzled. I feel like I am failing in some aspects or not doing enough or letting myself and others down. It stresses me out, and being stressed does not help my health. Being stressed also cannot help me lead others to a healthy and positive lifestyle. Stress takes a toll on the body and can rob it of good health, and all the good things I try to do to promote my good health end up going to waste.

I know that many of you might also constantly think about food/dieting/living healthy. You might be worrying that you aren’t following the right eating style or that what you are doing isn’t working. You might be wondering if the next event you go to will have food you can eat or you might be nervous that people won’t approve of the way you eat. Maybe you are always dwelling on what your next meal will be or all the things you need to do to continue your healthy lifestyle. If someone like myself, who is passionate about food and health and wants to devote my time to helping others with their health, feels stressed thinking about these things, I can only imagine that the general population feel even more stressed/worried about their health.

While I can’t get inside your minds and tell you to stop dwelling constantly on food (heck, I have a hard time getting my OWN mind to stop), I can give you some simple advice: just stop. You don’t have to always be worried about your health. Yes, you should be vigilant and make sure that you properly take care of yourself, but it shouldn’t be all consuming. Make sure you are actually enjoying living your healthy life, and you are not just thinking about what you need to do or not do next. Don’t be so caught up in what you should be eating that you never actually enjoy the food you eat. Don’t be tirelessly planning your workout routines that you never fully put yourself into your current exercise. Don’t be constantly planning out nutritious meals that you forget to stop and contemplate all that went into producing that delicious and satisfying meals. Finally don’t be so immersed in your own health that you stop interacting with those around you. Don’t feel bad if you realize you’ve been doing these things, I’ve just described my own bad habits. I have been so wrapped up in the health world that it started to hinder my own health and that isn’t good at all.

What did I do about it? I stopped. Yesterday I spent the morning/afternoon with my husband. We enjoyed a wonderful long breakfast and talked about what was going on with each other. We went to VeggieFest out in Naperville and just walked around looking at booths, listening to music and sipping cold coconut water.

My sister and her boyfriend came to visit us for dinner too. I set out a bunch of taco fixings and we made our own dinners, sipped wine, and enjoyed each other’s company. We talked and laughed and caught up on each other’s lives.

My hair can get crazy….

Just to prove I can be semi-normal…

I had my sister dye my hair and we watched a favorite movie from our childhood. It was a fabulous day and it made me feel happy and amazing. Relaxing and NOT focusing on food/good health actually made me feel healthier than I have in awhile. I understand that I sound conflicting right now. I promote good health and yet I just told you to stop focusing on good health. In order to have the best health possible though, sometimes you need to just take a step back, breathe, and enjoy. I promise it will do wonders for your health!