Learning More About Being Me

I've been reading Gretchen Rubin's Better Than Before as I try to find time for non-work reading in the evenings. She even talks about 'quitting time' which I am going to try to do, since I work from home and am an 'upholder' I can easily be drawn to my office to do work and accomplish something (because that's what I like to do!).

I often talk about being our best self or the best version of ourselves. It's not about perfection, it's about progress, which the title of the book reminds us - be better!

Gretchen talks about all the unique traits we have and I like to learn as much about myself as I can, so I enjoyed reading that. I also try to be self aware - so I may not always respond or act the way I intended or should have, but on reflection I can easily see what I should have done/said. Maybe it's years as a dietitian and the self reflection we're taught that has stuck with me.

As I learn more about myself, I also continue to learn more. I know I like to cook, but I like to follow recipes, I struggle to just make something from scratch, which many dietitians are great at. I like to follow directions, perhaps with a few alterations, but I like to know where I'm going and what the outcome may be, even though, that does mean that I try all kinds of recipes - some that we'll make again, and others that are soon forgotten.

I also know that I like quotes for inspiration and I like alliteration. As an adult I've recently decided that I am at my best when I remain curious (not judgemental), am content (grateful and not wanting for more or comparing myself to others), and present (or mindful - conscious fits with my 'c' theme, but I don't like it as much). I keep mindfulness, minimalism, and moderation in mind as I strive for health, happiness, and habits.

I've got a lot to continue to work on, but I think I'm better than I was before. I do often have to remind myself of how far I've come and that happiness isn't a destination - ie. it's not, I'll be happy when ________.

This is just my check in, as it was on my mind and I had a few moments to spare to jot it down.

Be well, be you!

Cheers,

Steph Langdon, RD

www.nutrishus.com

Day 20: Rub-A-Dub-Dub

With our hectic lives and mobile technology it can be really hard to be in the moment. I strive to find time to unplug and if you read the blog often, you know I'm trying to be in the moment. Becoming a mom has made this more apparent to me. While I have many things I want to accomplish, I need to be present for my daughter.

I have come to love her bath time. She didn't love the bath at first, then started to splash, and is now extremely active in the tub. I enjoy seeing her excitement, watching her crawl into the bathroom when she hears the water running, and playing with her bath toys.

It's the simple moment in our day, when my husband, my daughter, and I are all together, with no distractions. We (Kevin and I) try to be home for bath time so we don't miss our routine together. I just really love that we're together, content, happy, and not thinking about anything else. I hope this transfers to other parts of our life too!

I am grateful for: bath time!

I do enjoy the tub to myself, but it's my daughter's time that makes me grateful every day.

Stop to smell the roses,
Steph Langdon, RD
www.nutrishus.com

Easter on my Mind

I'm not sure if it's because I'm getting older, am more mindful, am a new mom, or what, but it really feels like we're rolling from one festive holiday to the next and next week is already April and Easter! Do any of you feel that way? I know if you go to any stores it's quite obvious, as Valentine's stuff goes on sale we see St. Patrick's Day stuff and Easter stuff already lining the shelves, and I still can't figure out when chocolate became the go-to food for all the holidays?! I do love chocolate, but try to limit myself and lately try to go dark or not at all (I'm also choosing quality, so that I feel it's worth the indulgence!).

Either way, holidays can be a hard time to stay on track with healthy eating. I keep working on my personal development and I think a few terms stand out to me - contentment and now imperfection. I am striving to be who I am and love it (rather than try to be a version of myself that I'll never achieve). So whatever you're working on, make sure you're not being too hard on yourself or expecting perfection - first of all, I've learned that it's impossible to achieve, but we also have to remember that we all likely define 'perfect' very differently. I continue to pin new quotes that inspire me (and hopefully inspire some of you) - feel free to share your favourites in the comment section below!

So, try not to stress about Easter. Enjoy time with family and friends, get outside, relax, do what you need to do for yourself. As my followers know, I tend to enjoy food jokes and having fun with food themes for holidays. I found a few cute snacks on Pinterest that I wanted to share with you. My first thoughts with Easter go to eggs and carrots and what I can do with them - perhaps you have a tradition you'd like to share that is food related or a gift that is not food related.

Bacon and eggs bunny from worthpinning:

Pineapple chick from FamilyFun magazine:

















Cheese and cracker chicks from CanadianFamily:

There are so many ways to get creative and include veggies, fruit, and protein in your holiday celebrations. Happy Spring to you all!

Cheers,
Steph Langdon, RD
something nutrishus