My Afflation

As mentioned previously , using a meal kit delivery service to stay Whole30 compliant isn't the easiest thing to do without some forethought and planning. On Instagram, the Whole30 account was touting their partnership with Blue Apron, so we thought we would try them out.

About a year ago I got to have a great conversation with some old-time friends of a friend (long story) - Rebecca and James Hicks on  The Geek Questioner Podcast . Rebecca is the author of the webcomic " Little Vampires ". This week we interview the dynamic duo behind the Tiny Little Vampires web comic and geek out over all manner of things. From a close encounter with Carrie Fisher to space vampires, rogue space probes, superhero TV shows, games like the Witcher 3, summer homes in Rivendell, living in the Cars universe, and more!   Have a listen and don't mind the giggling:

No, this post is not about a new recipe nor a new dance. The burn! It hurts! My shoulders are on FYRE! I really need to book myself a hot stone massage.

I am currently thanking the scientists who came up with NSAIDs. And to whoever figured out that caffeine + painkillers = easing of a migraine. Today's breakfast chaser was a venti long shot flat white and 2 Aleve. The pressure in my brain has subsided enough that I feel alert for the first time all week and almost energetic enough to try this. Just skip ahead to Tom Holland at 1:44 . Why can't I stop watching this?!?!? I really can't. Having energy and clarity of thought is so energizing. I didn't realize how much energy the low-level headache I have had all week was draining me. Didn't help that I started the week slightly depleted from the weekend and it went downhill from there. And now I feel like dancing!

Courtesy of Google I've been using the Pixel Buds for the last few months, and I have to say I'm largely impressed. But let's get the negatives out of the way first.

I am officially tired of winter. More than that, my SAD is kicking in hard , despite 8-12,000 IU of Vitamin D nightly. I started writing this post on Sunday, had the draft, found the links to the pretty recipes (need to remember to do that again for next week), and here it is Wednesday, and I am dragging ass. You can check out my Fitbit stats if you don't believe me. via GIPHY

I just don't have the energy to be a perfectionist all the damn time anymore. From a conversation with a friend: I'm going to treat this like Whole30. I'm a failure (according to their standards), but that's ok, this is what a work in progress looks like ... Scratch that, I am not a failure, I am not a perfectionist. I've been slacking. Not quite the procrastination bug, but something like that. More like the "I don't know where to get started" bug. I jumped on the Passion Planner bandwagon , got my Staples Arc folder (and now I found another one that's more perfect), and printed out the first month. Here we are in week three, and I am still looking at other's planners at least once a week and going to the tips section of the Passion Planner website to see why I am having so much trouble "getting it." I mean, pens, washi tape, post-its, color coding, the list goes on and on. Where is a practical, no-nonsense, non-artistic person

After I got out of the shower this morning I noticed a burning sensation on my neck. The only time I have that sensation is when I wear a less than pure or top-quality necklace. However, I did just color my hair. Crap. I lifted my braided bun and ... Irritated skin right at the base of my neck.  Not quite hives You might have to zoom in, but at the base of my neck is the irritated area. No, that is not a dye stain, which I kind of hoped at first. It feels different to the touch from the surrounding skin (patchy and angry, not smooth and soft). I have to wonder if it's the interaction of the dye with my necklace because my hands and scalp feel fine. It's just that little area that burns like the dickens. And this chain is pure silver. I've been wearing it almost everyday since 2010. The Importance of Patch Testing Well, beyond the obvious opportunity to avoid a severe allergic reaction (just google it ), I will now have to take allergy meds until this clears up a

Honestly, at this point in the year, it's kind of nice to not have to come up with new things to cook. I am not one of those people who can eat the same thing all the time, or have a "night" for a specific meal, but even with the internet, I am running out of quick, tasty, and healthy dinners. We are heading into week two of Plated and only having to grocery shop for the weekend is a load off my mind. One less thing to schedule time for. I did forget to go in this week and change everything to be Whole30 compliant, but I think we will be ok since it's only one serving. One more gushing thing that I am not being paid to say, Plated is letting me travel through my mouth! I know there is no way I would have been able to find the aji paste for last week's Peruvian's Aji Chicken around here. As of this week, I have five referrals available via email, so let me know if you would like to try a week of Plated at a deep discount ( like free ). Plated Menu C

I went to the gym at 8am today. Crazy right? But you know what? It was practically empty!!!! Anxious Introvert heaven! Locker room - empty. Floor - like three people. Cardio machines? Only two in use! I had my pick! The elliptical seemed like a good choice again. 45 minutes on an interval program and I did the majority of this week's video lectures for a Coursera course. I was feeling productive even though I hadn't had any coffee yet. Trying out this thing called "Time Management." via GIPHY Not too bad if I do say so myself, considering how I feel about cardio. I guess I was more relaxed today. Max HR only hit 154 according to the machine Fitbit has different stats I felt good as I got off the elliptical and then I had a brilliant epiphany. I had enough time to try the sauna! My trainer has been encouraging me to use it ever since the weather turned but I never make time for it. That is going to change STAT! I'm going to have to get over

Resolutions or No Resolutions?  I don't make resolutions, but I do try to maintain any good habits that I may have picked up in the previous year. Currently, that's journaling. I started in April 2017, and I haven't been consistent, but I am working on it. That, and going to the gym.

This morning's pre-coffee adventure involved looking for something that I have seen time and time again and yet couldn't find. My reserved Zipcar ! In this case, one reserved at the Rozzie Village Commuter Rail stop. I have seen the cars multiple times as I ride the train. You look out the window, and there they are. I swear, I couldn't find the car this morning. Part of the confusion, now that I am looking at the map, is that in the app it just says  " Fit Bride / Roslindale Village Commuter Rail"  The actual website has detailed information, but who would have thought to use that????  I was, of course, in the lower (South) lot. It was the only one I knew from driving into the Village Square. If you follow me on twitter or Instagram , you may be thinking, "Wait, you have a Jeep, why do you need a Zipcar???" Well, sometimes you just need a second car.  H needed to travel today for work, and normally in the spring or summer, commuter rail would

I've been more than a little skeptical of the home delivery meal kit plans for various reasons.

OMFG I don't know if I'm really unfit or if I had a minor anxiety attack, but I could not get beyond the warm-up of Ropes and Rowers . I was dizzy and felt a fainting spell come on. I hate fainting in public. Left the class to get some breathing room and water and never went back in. Sat for a while and my heart wouldn't stop racing ... Right. Ok. No sense in wasting this trip to the gym. So I went downstairs where it was warmer and quieter and I knew no one would be looking and judging. via GIPHY via GIPHY Since I had signed up for a class I didn't bring my headphones. From now on, I will always bring headphones. But it was kinda nice to just zone out on the elliptical for another 30 minutes. Listening to the hum of treadmills and just letting my brain wander while my body did its thing. I feel more relaxed than I have in a while (though while I wait for my ride to finish his workout I'm starting to freeze and seize up) and I got a few more ideas for this blo

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I'm sitting here asking myself why did I sign up for this? Nothing like a little ambition to start the new year. The #cook90 Starter Guide https://t.co/uoxYtYZbRy #fb — Annette (@daNanner) December 25, 2017 But the madness works out because we're doing another #januarywhole30 . The last time I attempted this was three years ago . I was over it pretty quickly. But, here I am again, in solidarity. I didn't lose weight or feel anything other than pissed off at the world last time, so we'll see if it's different this time around. Since I'm still mostly Paleo menu-planning is easy enough. And you can follow me on Instagram since I will be posting for both the Cook90 Challenge and Whole30. This is going to be a fun month.

I made it! Had to add in a few audiobooks that I had forgotten to, but it all counts, right? My 2017 in books. You can see my whole list here . What was your favorite book of 2017? What are you looking forward to reading in 2018?