Life, Changes, and Mid-April
Happy Middle of April!! Yeah...I am pushing it a little but April 15th is almost here. April is pushing along and it has been nothing but changes.
As promised...I have a few goals I crushed. I have officially gone from 4 jobs down to 2. This was a major goal of mine and I finally crushed it. I can’t name my new job on this blog but it is an office job – Monday through Friday. I am still working for Hallmark doing the evenings. I love Hallmark and will never let them go.
I wish I could tell you all about my job but I can’t. It is top secret. LOL!! I did leave Albertson's, ScanScape, and FieldForce. Again...this was a MAJOR 2024 goal.
And I am not done yet with my goals.
My next CRUSH IT goal – learning new trades and new skills. I love learning. So...I am loving all these new programs and systems at my new job. In other news, I am still learning Spanish, I am still reading, and I am still living the Whole 30 Life.
So...this week has been busy as Hell but I have loved every minute of it. I am having to adjust to regular work hours though. I work 8 to 5 with an hour lunch. I love the hours but I haven’t worked in an office since 2021. I am slowly getting back into an all-day work schedule.
The one thing I love about an office job is having weekends off. I already have this weekend planned but I am also going to rest a lot because 5 days of work is something else when you are used to being at home by 3 p.m. every day.
My weekend plans include:
- a few festivals - both Saturday and Sunday
- a flower show at the mall - on Saturday
- going to the gym for an hour each day
- laundry on Saturday
- meal prep on Sunday
- work prep on Sunday
Crushing and Loving Life!!
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Whole 30 April 2024 Update!
Twenty-five pounds...twenty-five pounds LOST and I am so happy to be below 200 pounds. The last time I was below 200 was in 2019. This is MAJOR for me. Let me say it again...twenty-five pounds – 25!
Alright...I had my annual doctor visit on Thursday and my doctor/treatment team praised me on my progress. They know my story of up and down in weight. They know I can achieve and maintain a healthy life and not just a lifestyle. But...it is tough. I love buffets, DoorDash orders, cakes/pies, bread, and all the bad stuff. I could eat all day and drink a wine store...but I don't! I have to fight myself on the weekends. I beat my own ass and it has paid off.
So...I had blood work done, I had my weigh-in, I showed off my new body, I ordered a colon cancer kit to check for issues, and I got the PSA prostate blood test as well as the A1C blood test. In other news, next week is a BIG ONE with a lot of new developments. So many things I want to talk about but not yet.
OK...I just got my blood test results...everything is NORMAL but my iron is still within the LOW range. It has improved but is still low. I have to work harder on this level. I am taking iron pills but it is still in the LOW range. My bad cholesterol is normal – FINALLY!!
And my A1C is normal as well as my PSA results. Getting old is a bitch. All of these tests and worries even though I am not worried. I know I am on the right path and I am going to stay on this path. I still have a lot of work to do though. Now...let me get up and CRUSH some more goals!!
Crushing and Loving Life!!
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March 2024 Recap
OMG! March is almost over and I have to say it has been a month of wins. I have had a very productive month. I CRUSHED a lot this month and I am very happy for once in a long time. I can’t believe it is March 30th already.
Well here is the recap...
- My Whole 30 life is still going strong and I weigh in on Monday, April 1st and then I go to my doctor on Thursday, April 4th. I know I have dropped some pounds and I feel so much better!!
- I just replaced the air filter in Little Mable as well as her oil. I am getting the timing belt/water pump done next month. I am also completing a few more projects on my Little Mable classic convertible. I try to drive it at least once a week. I love driving it.
- I am still going to Planet Fitness on an almost daily basis. I love the treadmill and other “simple” machines. I can see the results and I love that.
- On the job front...I am still working 4 jobs and I am working on a lot of behind-the-scene stuff to reduce these jobs down to only 2. I got to complete the job-reducing process because I can’t go on working 4 jobs.
- I have read so many books this month and I am on track to read 100 books this year. I love reading!
- I have been practicing my Spanish daily and I am little bit better at speaking it. It has been rough but I am CRUSHING my Spanish goals.
- I am looking forward to April and all of its events. I am ready for everything on the horizon that I know is going to pop off in April.
- My boss on Job I saw me the other day and gave a positive compliment about how I looked. That really meant a lot to me even though I don’t seek out compliments.
So…I’m on the right path in Whole 30 Life. I can’t do anything else but keep my head up and work harder.
I keep going up and I LOVE IT!!
Crushing and Loving Life!!
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Sunday & Milagro Coffee
Happy Sunday and Happy First Sunday of Spring!!
Spring is here and so is the wind. A wind storm is all over southern New Mexico right now and I am glad to be back home and in my bed.
I am so glad spring is here and I kicked off this morning with watching the sunrise over the Organ Mountains. I love seeing the sun come up – it is so relaxing. I then had a great breakfast at Milagro Coffee – a cute coffeshop here in Las Cruces. Here is the info: Milagro Coffee, 1733 E. University Ave., is open 7 days a week from 6:30 a.m. till 5 p.m., and is right across the street from NMSU. Check out Milagro's website by clicking here.
Milagro Coffee sells a variety of dishes including breakfast sandwiches, pastries, quick lunches, and even bagged coffee - roasted and bagged in-store. The coffeehouse's portions are huge and the atmosphere is really relaxing. I feasted on a turkey and cheese panini and had a large coffee. It was really good.
Next, I went to the gym and read my book – Eat, Pray, Love. I am finally reading this book and I am LOVING it. Click here to read more about the book.
Now, I am back home and working on home projects. My spring cleaning has been fun. I am tossing out a few things and cleaning a lot of things. It is too windy and cold to work on Little Mable – I am sort of sad about that. The morning started with sun and then the clouds moved in and then the wind said HELLO!! So...I can only do indoor things.
Well...I am off to sip hot tea and crush home projects!!
Crushing and Loving Life!!
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Spring Is Here In A Few Days!
Spring is here in a few days...OMG…
The new season starts Tuesday, March 19th and I am taking the day off! Can you believe it? ...not working on an Infamous Tuesday!! I told you...I am slowing down and loving life this year. As part of Whole 30, I am resting more and focusing on ME instead of working so much for others.
Well...spring is upon us and it doesn’t end until Friday, June 21 – technically. But we all know summer starts on Memorial Day. I don’t know why Mother Nature sets the date in June. June is really a summer month – OK, Mother Nature!
Click here to check out more information about Spring 2024.
OK – a little recap of my winter…
- I spent a lot of time reading, studying Spanish, and working on Little Nicky and Little Mable.
- I completed my taxes.
- I overspent on my Spending Diet.
- I stuck to my Whole 30 Lifestyle.
- I worked less, rested more, and saved some.
- I completed a few home projects.
- I walked more outside – Vitamin D is so important.
Now...I am ready to CRUSH even more goals, work harder on my Whole 30 Lifestyle, and get outside more. I know April is going to be a busy month and I can’t wait.
Click here for some spring 2024 decorating trends and ideas.
In other news...I am not spring-refreshing this year. I am just going to deep clean and keep things the same in my palace. I am focusing on Little Mable and saving money instead of home redecorating projects.
Well...Happy Spring 2024...get up and get outside!!
Crushing and Loving Life!!
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Whole 30 Breakthrough!
Happy Daylight Savings Eve!!
This is a BIG ONE - I am happy to say that I am now wearing a size 34 pants. That is down from 38/40...all of my hard work is paying off!! I never want to go back up to 38, 40, and 42 in size. I know it is a struggle to keep pounds off but I am NEVER returning to my old body/life. My old self is a faded memory and I am loving my new Whole 30 Life that is all about health, goals, CRUSHING IT, and being happy.
Speaking of being happy, releasing my old life has also made me happier in life. I feel so much better being in shape, eating healthy, and exercising. I am now living for the future instead of eating and looking backward.
So...how much do I weigh? I don’t know. I am not stepping on the scale until April 1st. I know I have dropped a lot of weight but I don’t want to see the number yet. My goal weight is 130 pounds by August 8th, 2024. It is nice not knowing the number.
Well...I am proud of myself. I stuck to the program and I have no regrets. I see my doctor on April 4th and she is going to be shocked. When I visited her last August, she sort of acted like I couldn’t change my life. She doesn’t know Nick A. Davis. She doesn’t know he can move mountains. I can’t wait to see her face. I am getting blood work done and I am hoping my iron count is up. I have been taking iron pills and eating more leafy green veggies. I wish there was a way I could test iron levels at home. I am also hoping my LDL cholesterol (the bad mess) is down. Click here to check out how to reduce LDL levels.
Well...this week I am going to increase my time at the gym and start working on toning up. I am also going to get in some more outside walking. I need more Vitamin D. I am hoping the weather improves – right now it is cool but sunny. A little too cool to walk around the block.
OK...I am off to do fun things and love life!!
Crushing and Loving Life!!
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Spring Is Coming!
Spring is almost here and the first festival of spring is going on this weekend – The New Mexico Pecan Festival in Mesilla, NM. I went on Saturday and it was fun. I got some pecans and some pecan coffee. I didn’t stay long because I had to go home and file my taxes. Click here to check out the New Mexico Pecan Festival’s website.
On the tax front, I owed $887 and I have already paid the bill. Now...I am focusing on CRUSHING other goals including restoring Little Mable, meal prepping for this new week, and loving life.
On the spending diet front, my “Living On Bare Lifestyle” kicks off today. What do I mean by “Living On Bare” – it is living basic and simple without spending on anything other than gas for the car. I have enough food to take me through the month. I have to complete the challenge before April 1st. So...no credit card usage, no transferring from savings, no Dollar Tree runs, and no buying snacks on Job II. This challenge is a BIG ONE. I am going to track it digitally. I am even going to lock my debit cards up except for one day a week to buy gas.
Well...I’m off to work on projects. Check out the mini photo gallery below of Saturday’s events.
Crushing and Loving Life!!
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February 2024 Recap
OMG...the Month of Love is about to end. It was just Feb 1st the other day. Well...here we are at the last week of February and I am afraid to see March. March is usually a really bad month with lots of drama, hard work, changes in EVERYTHING, and one hot mess after another.
Soo...this year I am going to manifest POSITIVE thoughts and POSITIVE everything for March. I am going to do some spiritual work this new week to welcome March. The first day of the month is this Friday and I am going to put it out there – a positive day and beginning.
Alright...enough about March. Here is the recap of February:
- The month went by too fast – point blank! Just went on by and didn’t care. LOL!!
- I paid off one major bill and reduced the totals on two bills.
- I stayed on my gym journey.
- I had a great time at a friend’s going away party. The party was at Olive Garden and the food was WONDERFUL!
- I got some parts for Little Mable – my vintage convertible.
- I got my first high-end planner – a Louis Vuitton planner. I LOVE IT!!
- I stayed on my Whole 30 Journey and I am excited to CRUSH the next month's lifestyle goals before my doctor's visit in April.
- I stayed on track with my reading and my Spanish lessons.
- I survived a lot of difficult work projects.
- I had a fun Movie Night right after Valentine’s Day.
- I didn’t stay on my Spending Diet but I am getting back on it.
- I loved the warm days of February and I am ready for Spring in the next few weeks.
Well...there is the recap and I am ready to head to the gym!
Crushing and Loving Life!!
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NEW Beginnings!
It is all about NEW...2024 is my year of being BRAND NEW. You ask...What is NEW? New is my attitude about life and happiness. I am a lot more chill this year and I have really slowed down on working too much. I try to end my day by 5 p.m. and then come home to do things I want to do.
This year is all about NEW Beginnings - trying new things and doing things that I used to be afraid to do – like learning new skills, changing careers, completing projects from years ago, and even drinking tea I never thought of drinking.
Some of the NEW things I am loving right now:
- Loving all of my books and reading.
- Loving French-pressed coffee and good eats.
- Loving the Spanish language and relearning it after 20+ years of not looking at it.
- Loving YouTube content creators – Lavendaire, Simply Happy Zen, Amy Landino, Nick Crowley, and many more.
- I am loving the sun rising earlier and setting later.
I am exploring NEW things and accepting new, positive, easier, and happier things. It is all about the future and loving life. My OLD is gone and my NEW is here to stay!!
Click here to check out some tips on starting a NEW life.
Crushing and Loving Life!!
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Life Update & Reflecting
The month of LOVE is here and I am still living my Whole 30 Life. I am loving my plant-based diet, my trips to the gym, and my many projects. The biggest news I have so far...I finally got my vintage convertible – a 1985 Chrysler LeBaron. It has a tape player, a tan-colored top, and is gold. I love it!! I named it “Little Mable” after my great-grandmother. She had a gold Cadillac back when I was a kid. My LeBaron runs great but needs restoring – new everything to bring it back to a showroom state.
So...I CRUSHED a major 2024 goal – buying my vintage convertible. I am going to keep Little Nicky and use it as my work car. I know eventually I will replace this car though. I am now working on my next big goal -- getting my body ready for my yearly checkup.
On the diet/lifestyle front, I am still on track and only consuming about 1,400 calories per day. I have drastically reduced my calorie and fat intake. I take a B-12 pill daily as well as an iron pill. I have a bit more energy now since I have adopted the Whole 30 Lifestyle. I can feel a weight reduction but I am not stepping on the scale until April 1st.
Guess what? Cooking In The 575 is back!! Click here to check out the latest recipe.
Well...let’s talk about the Month of Love...I am loving myself more and more each day. I am my own date for this month/holiday. And besides...I am happy being single and free.
Well...looking back on January and now February…I crushed some goals and lived my life! I am loving my life. I am enjoying the New ME!!
Crushing and Loving Life!!
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Gratitude 2024
Grateful – such a strong emotion and concept. I am grateful for EVERYTHING in my life...from humans to animals, to spirits, to nature – I am grateful. I Thank God every day for so much...so many things I don’t even discuss with others. I also Thank Satan for so many things including dishing up revenge on people, making people cry, and all the other bad things he tells me to do. You have to have both the good and the bad.
Now...let me take you on a little journey...sometimes I have to stop and think about how lucky and grateful I am to be in this present moment – in good health, a good state of mind, positive vibes, and overall in a state of being happy. I am still working on achieving a much higher state of happiness. It took me years to let go of yesteryear. It took me years to release hurt, pain, anger, toxic people, toxic relationships, toxic jobs, and many other bad elements. It also took me a lot of time (like 10 years) to stop searching for happiness in someone else. Happiness is inside of ME. No one and nothing can make me happy. I am single, drama-free, and loving life...for once in a long time.
Life is what you make of it. It took me a long time to accept this concept. It is also so important to be grateful for even little things like hot coffee, a warm day, a pretty sunset, karma serving up revenge!! It is also all about being positive and looking at life from a different emotion that is not negative. It is so easy to focus on the negative BUT you have to fight that emotion and turn anything negative into a positive.
I just wanted to make a quick post about being grateful for EVERYTHING in my life. I am really loving life at 50. It is all about CRUSHING everything in this life!!
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January 2024 Recap
January is almost over and it has been a 8+ month on a scale of 1 to 10. I am very pleased with how the month flowed on with no drama, no crazy folks, and no elements from the “year we can’t speak of”. I think this month flowed properly because of my Whole 30 Lifestyle. I stuck to my new lifestyle and my plans/goals and I CRUSHED a few of them.
So...here is the recap…
- I loved the gym this month. I visited my beloved Planet Fitness a total of 17 times. I have four more days to hit the gym to get to my total of 21 visits. YAY ME!!
- On the job front, I am only working four jobs now and my life is so much easier with this reduction in jobs. My work/life balance goal is to only work two jobs.
- On the reading front, I have read four books so far and I am currently reading Truman Capote’s Answered Prayers. This book is a hot mess. I am loving this book but it is crazy. It’s his long-lost final novel.
- On the Spanish lessons front, I am studying at least 30 minutes a day and I am enjoying the learning process. Spanish is difficult though. I took it back in college but that was over 20 years ago.
- On the saving money front, I am doing EXCELLENT. I am saving more than I am spending. I am very proud of myself.
- I am still decluttering and cleaning. I got my hallway closet the way I want it and I am slowly starting on my office revamp.
- I am preparing and eating food from the freezer. I want a clean freezer by March 1st.
- So...let’s talk about expenses – so far...I have only spent $456.10 this month...that is $853.39 less than last month. This is big CRUSHING. I am so proud of myself. I save so much money when I don’t buy alcohol.
Well...let’s talk about my February plans – the plans are very simple – keep doing what I did in January but reduce expenses and increase my gym visits.
Ohhh...before I wrap this up...I am going totally plant-based eating in February. This is going to be challenging but I am going to CRUSH it!! I will post weekly updates on my progress via the Cooking In The 575 blog and social media updates!
Alright...off to CRUSH some more goals!!
Crushing and Loving Life!!
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Living the Booze-Free Life
Happy Mid-January!!
I am CRUSHING goals and keeping on track. Well...I have so much to say about my booze-free life. Let me start with this...I was never an alcoholic! Drinking was just one of my many passions. I just liked the taste of wine and certain cocktails. But I never really cared for beer unless it was a craft beer.
You may ask...how are you doing this cold turkey? I just am. See...I never was addicted to drinking. I have always been able to just stop whenever I wanted to. I stopped for 8 months back in 2018 right before I turned 45. I never blacked out, I never went overboard with my drinking, and I never just had to have a drink. So...this lifestyle change has been easy for me.
Now...on this journey, I haven’t had a drink since Thursday, December 28th, 2023. I haven’t experienced any problems stopping. I don’t have any shakes or withdrawal symptoms. I feel great. As many of you know, I work as a retail vendor and I see folks buying booze all the time and it doesn’t bug me. I have no desire to drink anything alcoholic.
I am on this journey as part of my Whole 30 Lifestyle. I am going to stay booze-free until Christmas Eve and then I am limiting myself to 1 or 2 glasses of wine or bubbly.
So...what replaced drinking – mocktails including sparkling water, club soda, tonic water, and other non-alcoholic drinks. I stick with water-based drinks because I must drink water as part of this new lifestyle. I just like the fizz of a sparkling water drink. Click here to check out some mocktail recipes.
Will I return to drinking next year? Nope – I am going to stay on this journey each year until the holidays. And then I am going to limit my alcohol intake. I never want to go back to daily drinking.
One big payoff of this lifestyle change – not spending money on booze. The money I am saving is going into a special “Moving in 2026 Fund”. I am moving to Tucson in spring of 2026. I am already preparing for this big move and yet another lifestyle change.
On the flipside though...giving up booze is not for everyone. If you have a drinking problem, you need to contact a professional like Alcoholics Anonymous. Click here for more information on this service.
Well...off to drink some water!!
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My Whole 30 Lifestyle
Well...I am officially in the Whole 30 Lifestyle. Let me break down this new lifestyle:
- Only eat fruits and vegetables in their natural form – nothing processed.
- No alcohol – no cooking wines and nothing containing alcohol.
- No dairy, or added sugars.
- No grains, gluten products, legumes, peanuts, soy
- No junk food, no MSG
- And no sulfites and carrageenans
Now...I have to admit – I do eat cereal even though it is on the “NO LIST”. I have a cup of Special K cereal each morning. Cereal falls under the grains category and it does contain 11 grams of sugar for 1 ¼ cup. To offset this, I double my amount of Apple Cider Vinegar Mixture each day. Once I finish this box of cereal, I am going to stop buying Special K.
On to the big category I am avoiding – ALCOHOL. I haven’t had a drink since Thursday, December 28th, 2023. I don’t miss drinking and it has not been hard avoiding it. I never was an alcoholic. I just like the taste of it and how it relaxes EVERYTHING. I don’t have any shakes from not having alcohol and I have not freaked out any. Actually, I am sleeping better and I have lost a lot of bloat. Alcohol causes me to be bloated and sleepy. I have not experienced those conditions since I stopped drinking.
As far as the other “NO” categories, I have not had any problems avoiding junk, processed, not allowed foods. I am on a 1,500-calorie diet that includes 45 minutes to an hour's worth of exercise every day and lots of water. I do love my lemon water, lime water, and Apple Cider Vinegar Mixtures. I am also drinking more hot tea with lemon.
The Whole 30 Lifestyle is designed to only be done for 30 days but I am going to stay on it until Christmas then I am going to maintain a non-processed food lifestyle into 2025. I am not doing this lifestyle just to drop weight – I am doing it to eliminate any future health problems and to maintain a healthy life. I do not want to get older and have a lot of physical problems.
Also, I am really loving the gym – for the first time ever! I get up and go and I really don’t think about it. The pain in my legs has eased up and I can walk for longer distances without experiencing any pain.
So...you may ask – what are some of the foods you can eat in this lifestyle:
- Vegetables including potatoes but I am avoiding them until later this summer.
- Fruits – any kind including bananas.
- Seafood – shrimp, oysters, unprocessed fish – check the packaging and avoid frozen seafood.
- Unprocessed meats – beef, chicken, and pork – check the packaging and avoid frozen meats.
- Nuts and seeds
- Eggs only
- Olive oil and nut butter
And that is it. I call this plan a lifestyle because it is more about living healthy and right instead of trying to diet. Diets don’t work over time but lifestyle changes do.
Click here to read more about the Whole 30 Lifestyle.
Crushing and Loving Life!!
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Happy 2024 & Happy Everything!!
Smooth sailing...loving life…and loving peace – 2024 is here and I am happy. I am so overjoyed that 2024 is here. Welcome to the NEW blog!!
Confession Time…redesigning this blog was a big deal. Like other chapters in my life, I closed my online chapters and got rid of my old posts. I backed up the blog though but those old posts are no longer accessible online. At this age I am at and this year...I am all about letting go of old chapters, old thoughts, old EVERYTHING. I have no desire to revisit ANYTHING in life. It is all about new experiences, new photos, new goals, new achievements, and being BRAND NEW.
Out with the old and in with the new!!
Anyhoo...this first week of 2024 has been busy but GREAT. I CRUSHED a lot of goals already and it is only Day 6! As you already know, I am doing the Whole 30 Lifestyle and I am all up in those veggies, drinking water, avoiding booze, and living right. Whole 30 is not just a diet but an entire lifestyle. I am going to do an entire blog about my Whole 30 journey next Saturday. So...don’t miss that blog post.
On the gym scene, I have been to Planet Fitness four times this week – that is A LOT for me. I usually only go twice a week. I am really enjoying the gym and it is helping with leg cramps and other pains. The more I attend the gym, the less pain I am in. Getting old is no joke – I used to never have leg cramps and pain. I am determined to beat this pain.
On other scenes, I have gotten back into reading and my goal this year is to read 100 books by December 31st. I am also relearning Spanish by doing lessons for an hour per day, and I am back to journaling. I am loving all of my new goals including the ones I can't speak of...hmm!!
I am so at peace this year and I am ready to CRUSH all of my goals and be even happier.
Crushing and Loving Life!!
