I’m not sure if this is just my experience or a more common one, but the week after I’m back from a vacation (and especially a long one) feels kind of like a lost week to me.  It’s not that I don’t get things done, because I most certainly do being the busy bee that I am.  It just feels like the first week post-vacation is a real transitionary time in which it’s a bit challenging to find the motivation to get back in the swing of things.  That being said, I did get so much done this week and am back in the swing of things.  It just feels like I could use a little more help than usual in feeling up to the task in my daily routines.  Does anyone else have a similar experience?

Tea & Honey = Comfort

I was looking back at my Instagram photos from the past week and was a bit surprised to find that I had posted four tea related pics.  To me, there’s few things more simple and comforting than a nice cup of tea with honey.  Add in a bath, a good book, or some YouTube watching and I am one happy camper.  It’s been a bit of a dreary kind of week weather-wise as well, with that winter-is-lasting-FOREVER feel.  That kind of grey, gloomy day is perfect tea weather!  I think I’ll post an updated Tea Time with Jen video on TBBB soon sharing what teas I’ve been loving lately, especially since I’ve been drinking so much of it!

Decorating for Spring

Speaking of winter dragging on, I always look forward to early March when I pull out my spring decorations.  These cheery additions to our home can make even the most grey of days a little brighter.  Spring decorating for me also includes refilling our candy bowls with Easter candies.  I have a tendency to buy more than I need when I find them on sale (usually at Target).  To avoid waste, I’ve discovered that I can successfully freeze candy for up to a year.  Now I only buy seasonal candy every other year.  I use freezer style Ziplocks and always double bag to ensure freshness and ward away freezer burn.  In my experience the candy tastes just as good after a year in the freezer.  I thaw the candy still sealed up in the bags on my counter before distributing to candy dishes and jars.

I find that I don’t munch on our display candy often.  We mainly keep it out for guests and because I like the way it looks as decoration.  I feel like candy dishes give a warm and inviting type of feel to our home.  However, there are particular types of candy that I just can’t resist.  The white chocolate M&M’s for spring are one of those temptations!  To solve my problem of overreaching into that candy bowl, I like to portion the M&M’s out into 100 calorie treat packs using small ziptop baggies you can find at Michaels.  Simple math and a kitchen scale are the only tools you need to create your own special treat packs.

Speaking of white chocolate M&Ms, I searched the internet for a link to them, but could only find them on Amazon.  I wonder if they’re not available this year?  If so, then I’m really glad I had a stash frozen from last year.

Losing Vacation Weight

Even though I like to be as active as I can on a trip, I usually gain upwards of four pounds on a week or longer vacation simply from all of the tasty food I indulge in while away.  I think this is a pretty common experience.  I find that I can lose that weight easily enough within a week of returning home if I follow the simplest and healthiest version of my usual everyday diet.  I cut out my special treat allowances to accomodate this cleaner eating week post-vacation, including Tuesday Treat Day and Sweet Saturday.  I followed this approach to eating for the past week and have already trimmed off my vacation weight.  I even had to refrain from any rigorous exercise this week as I am resting my knee until it’s all better to avoid further injury.  I turned to a basic at home yoga practice instead, using my favorite Tara Stiles This Is Yoga DVD set to keep my body loose and my blood flowing every day.  I was pleasantly surprised that I could still lose the weight in the same amount of time without working up a serious sweat each day.

I tend to eat the same kinds of food on a daily basis for awhile before switching things up.  My typical diet this past week consisted of Don’s special open-faced egg sammies on english muffins and tea for breakfast, homemade chicken soup with a side of Pirate’s Booty for lunch, a snack of hummus and veggies with a few mixed nuts in the afternoon, and quinoa with chicken, broccoli, & mushrooms for dinner.  To satisfy my sweet tooth I brew a double cup of herbal tea with honey for dessert.  This diet is effective and I don’t feel like I’m suffering while on it.  That being said, I’ll be happy for the return of my Tuesday Treat Day and Sweet Saturday indulgences next week. 😉

I’ve recieved so many questions and comments about my IBS that I decided to write a blog post dedicated to the subject, which will be up in the next couple of days if you’re interested.

In summary, it’s been a bit of an iffy week, perfectly reflected by this iffy end of winter weather.  Luckily I have a cuddly hubby and sweet pup to cuddle up with when the grey weather starts to get me down.  I hope that all of you are having a restful and rejuvenating Sunday evening!