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Addicted to the Plunge!

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I started ocean plunging back in September. Unfortunately, since the beginning of January, it has been too windy, and the air too cold for me to do my plunging in the ocean. I have been taking 5 minute cold baths 3-4 times a week, to keep in plunging shape. Andrea, one of my fellow plungette takes a cold bath almost daily. I’m doing my best to keep up, but I don’t bother with the baths on the days I have OutdoorFit. Training outside in the cold is enough for me.

Sunday, Sophie, our golden retriever woke me up too early. She likes to get up at 6am and I wanted to sleep in. I was annoyed and cranky. I knew if I took a cold bath, I would have a quick change in attitude and feel so much better. I filled the tub with tap water. There is no need to add ice when the tap water is 40.8 degrees. As soon as you get in, you forget all of your problems except that you are sitting in frigid water. I sit upright for two minutes and then try to muster up the courage to get my upper body in as well. I stay in for two to three minutes more. I wash my face in the end. Andrea actually dunks her whole head in. I am not quite there yet.

My husband, Dan is getting tired of the noises coming from the bathroom. Sometimes, he will come in to talk me through. He coaches me to get to the next step. He encourages me with helpful phrases like, “Suck it up, Buttercup.” I am so grateful for his support.

I am obsessed with the plunge. I had an immediate shift in my attitude on Sunday. I felt so much better, Cold, but better. I know if I wake up achy, a cold bath will take care of the tension. I have lost weight. I am sleeping better, and a friend told me that I looked ten years younger. It is a powerful tool. I know it is crazy and that is part of the appeal!

I love the connection with Andrea and Rosanne, my fellow plungettes. I text them every time I am heading into the cold bath. I need all the support I can get. When we started last September, I told Andrea we are going to be best friends. We don’t need to eat or drink together. All we need to do is to jump into the ocean for 5 minutes. We have formed a strong bond. Doing something with a touch of craziness will do that. Do you want to read more about the benefits? Head over to the previous blog post.

I asked my fellow plungettes to share what they love about plunging.

From Andrea: “Plunging has a few fantastic benefits that keep me coming back to this seemingly crazy pastime. First and above all, it lifts my mood. Instantly. And after I do it, my brain feels sharper like when I’ve had a great nights sleep but better. When we go in the ocean as opposed to the tub, there is a feeling of connecting with the planet. And I believe it has sped up my metabolism a bit which is always nice. Finally, it has been a bonding experience with the two ladies who I do it with.”

From Rosanne: “I started to plunge this spring in my pond upstate as an entry into releasing fear around diving into a cold, sometimes dark body of water, after learning about Wimm Hoff and his ice baths.  I began his breathing methods and found it’s benefits very helpful which led to my interest in having friends do the plunging together in the Atlantic ocean.   The experience of being emersed in nature, with the brilliant sunshine and piping plovers encircling us was an amazing experience and has led me/ us to continue the practice.  The bathtub is getting me through the winter and I am excited to return to the ocean with my fellow plungettes once the weather improves.”

This is my from my sister Kathleen who plunges in North Carolina: “Addicted to the plunge. When Mary first told me she was going into the icy waters of the Atlantic for 5 minutes – I thought she was nuts but also knew I had to try it. I have not had the chance to go into the ocean but live near a lake and have been in the sound. It’s exhilarating. My body thanks me every time. The aches disappear and my senses come alive. I’ve been able to do it most weeks – sometimes twice a week.”

I encourage you to give it a try. You don’t need to start with a cold bath. Turn the shower temperature to cold at the end of the shower. Breathe through it for 30 seconds. You will feel invigorated! Let me know how it goes.

Love,

Mary

Temperature Check

Family, Home, Sophie and Creativity.

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I love a good decluttering challenge. I have done a few of them, and I always feel better when my house is clean and tidy. It brings me great joy to open the door of the tool shed, and to have it in order. When I am stressed or agitated, cleaning out a drawer or decluttering the office brings me peace. I might not feel better when I am actually doing the project, but I am always grateful when I am done.

When Sophie the golden retriever came to live with us, I decided it would be best to pick up the area rugs. I feel so much better with them gone. She is not chewing on them, I don’t have to worry about her urinating on them, and I don’t need to vacuum them. I can just sweep the floor at the end of the day. There is something very therapeutic about a good broom in your broom closet.

Having the house in order makes me feel better, and messy surroundings make me feel agitated. However, there is a part of me that knows spending my days cleaning is not enough. I have been feeling flat. I need to be creative, but I have been avoiding writing my blog posts or promoting OutdoorFit.

So, here I am sitting at my desk writing. I need to find the right balance between taking care of my family, the house, Sophie the dog and my creative endeavors. Progress!

How are you doing? I hope you are finding happiness in your day. What projects are you working on? Have you started gardening yet? Are you spring cleaning? Are you writing a best selling novel? I would love to hear from you.

Love,

Mary

How cute are the three of them sitting on the stoop?

Meet Sophie the Golden Retriever.

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We have a new puppy, and I am back into mothering mode big time. I decided to let some things go for awhile. I stopped 2 Grandmas and A Microphone and writing blog posts. I have not been posting much on social media unless it included a golden retriever puppy named Sophie. If you don’t care about cute puppies then it is probably best to sign off now.

This is the story of the arrival of Sophie. As many of you know, I have a special needs son named Thomas. He has always been around Goldens. We have had 4 Goldens and a wonderful dog named Kelly. Kelly was half golden and half Chesapeake Bay retriever. When Tom looks at dog books he is interested in Golden retrievers. 2 and 1/2 years ago, our last Golden, George died suddenly of cancer at the age of 7. It was very sad for all of us. Thomas talked everyday about how sad he was about George. My family and I had thought of getting another dog, but my husband wasn’t ready to move on from George. For me, there was something freeing about not having a dog. The house was clean. We could leave and not have to worry about George. Then the pandemic hit, and Tom is home all of the time zooming his programs. I thought this is the perfect time to get a dog. I told Tom that George is his dog angel and he needs to start praying to George to bring us Sophie. Thomas wanted a girl dog. He likes girls. There is a young lady down the street named Sophie. She got a golden a few years ago for Christmas and named him Tom. Tom the golden has the same birthday as Thomas. We thought Sophie would be the perfect name. Sophia means wise. It is good to have a smart dog. Tom started to pray to George, the dog angel and I started to look for a good breeder.

I found Jane Pappler from Redlion Kennels. I gave her a call and left a voice mail. I also emailed her to tell her about Tom and that we were looking for the perfect puppy. Jane called me back. Normally, I would not have answered the phone. I usually don’t answer a strange number. This time, I did. “Mary, this is Jane from Redlion kennels. Would you like to talk about Golden Retrievers ? ” She asked us if we could wait a year. She was receiving 30 calls a day since the pandemic hit. I said I could but I really wanted a puppy sooner. Well, guess what? She bumped us up on the list. George the dog angel was helping us find Sophie.

We picked up Sophie January 12th, at 7 weeks old. Our world has changed. I am so glad that I am not a single parent. My husband is in on the puppy parenting. She sleeps pretty well through the night and she is house broken. I don’t trust her yet but she cries at the door to go out. I started reading The Art of Raising A Puppy by The Monks on New Skete. I love their philosophy and it has been very helpful. The Monks are very grounding. It is so important to have a well trained dog and we are working on it. Sophie is sitting. She is a smart dog. I hope you get to meet her soon. She thinks everyone loves her.

Love,

Mary

Thank you George.

I want all of you to have a healthy mouth!

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Recently, I watched Bulletproof radio on You Tube. Dave Asprey interviewed Trina Felber, RN of Primal Life Organics. The episode was about dental care and the microbiome in your mouth. The problem with all of these health and wellness podcasts are that I want to buy everything they recommend. Trina’s company sells lots of products which I am sure are amazing. I need to watch myself, because I like to keep it simple. I don’t like clutter and too much stuff around. I decided to start with toothpowder and take it from there. During the podcast, Trina talked about all of the toxins in your typical toothpaste. I am especially concerned about fluoride. I have looked into fluoride, and I don’t want it in our toothpaste. Tom, my special needs son, has issues brushing his teeth. I want Tom to be as independent as possible, but I know when left on his own he doesn’t brush his teeth well. I am now brushing Tom’s teeth twice a day for 2 minutes.

Primal Organic Life’s tooth powder is very simple. It contains 3 main ingredients, clay, baking soda and essential oil.

From the Primal Life Organics website: “We blended cleansing, mineral-rich bentonite, kaolin, and French green clays with a touch of alkalizing baking soda and flavored it with essential oil for a WOW your mouth will love every time you brush. Your tongue will be amazed at how smooth your teeth feel! Brushing twice a day is something your mouth will look forward to! Dirty Mouth Toothpowder for stronger, whiter, and clean feeling teeth that leaves your mouth feeling fresh and alive!”

My teeth have changed since menopause. I’m not sure exactly how to describe it, but they feel rougher. I also have had issues with burning mouth. I am interested in maintaining a clean, healthy mouth. I am really looking forward to trying the toothpowder. Update: The toothpowder arrived yesterday. I have used it twice and I already love it. It is very exciting to me that the powder is naturally anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal. I know I am on my way to having happy microbiome, a clean healthy mouth and strong teeth. As a punishment for mouthing off as a kid, my mom would wash my mouth out with soap . Brushing my teeth with tooth powder is a much better option.

Here is 2 Grandma and a Microphone #12. Vicky and I talked about the tooth powder and brushing your teeth two minutes twice a day. We also covered buying Christmas trees, and Vicky’s feelings about being part of the book Corona City. This video was created on a cold December day. Make a cup of hot tea and enjoy!

Happy December!

Love,

Mary

I have a gum chewing addiction.

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I am working on reducing my stress so I will feel better. I actually have been feeling nauseous at times lately, and I have gained a few pounds. Five years ago, I began playing around with intermittent fasting. I would drink bulletproof coffee in the morning, workout, then come back and have my breakfast. In the beginning, I would feel nauseous and a bit woozy before breakfast. It took about three months to adjust to my new protocol. Once I adjusted, it was actually quite amazing. I started to lose weight. I dropped ten pounds, which was the menopausal weight gain I was beginning to think was impossible to lose.

Back to now. I have been feeling off and have been wondering whether my bulletproof coffee, intermittent fasting routine was the cause. I reached out to my friend and creative Holistic Health Counselor Jessica Shepard. I have known Jess for years and we actually bonded over bubble gum at a health conference. I gave Jessica a call and told her what was going on with me. She asked if I had been doing my breathing and meditation. Usually, when I need it the most I stop. She felt that my issue was not my diet. I also talked to to her about my gum habit. I knew she would understand. It is not a pretty story. I love to chew gum. Usually after lunch, I pop a piece of gum in my mouth and get on with my chores. I might be outside for hours gardening and chomping on my gum. It feels like it is a way to get rid of tension. According to Jess, “The gum is an immediate distraction and deceptive tension reliever which actually causes more tension.” Who knew?

Gum chewing can also screw up your digestive system. Chewing sends a signal to your brain that you are eating food. Your body starts to produce enzymes to digest the food. After a period of time, you begin to overtax your digestive organs and they stop producing the amount of enzymes that you need. I am not going to get into artificial sweeteners in gum because at least I was chewing Pur Gum with Xylitol instead of aspartame.

It is so important to focus on being strong, healthy and OutdoorFit. I haven’t had a piece of gum since our call. I have been using Fennel essential oil instead, I’ve gone back to Wim Hoff breathing, meditation and a 30 second cold shower. I feel so much better. I feel like I just shared a deep dark secret with you.

Vicky Perry and I were live in our 2 Grandmas and A Microphone Facebook group. We talked about stress, agitation and coming in second in a spelling bee. Vicky loves words and has always enjoyed spelling.

We tried going Live on Instagram, which didn’t work as well. We will figure it out for next week. Please head over to the pages to like and follow.

Love,

Mary

“We will know what action is ours to do.”

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This election season, I took it upon myself to research the candidates and to know what is going on. I have talked to people whom I know don’t agree with me. I would like to better understand why they think the way they do. They have been difficult conversations, and very triggering for all involved. I certainly know we are not going to change each other’s mind. The whole experience has left me feeling stressed and agitated. Sunday afternoon, I decided I needed a break. I went outside in the sunshine and moved 8 of my At Last rose bushes.

Is gardening therapeutic for you? It is for me. I felt so much better. There is nothing like getting down and dirty. This is the time of year when I look at what has worked in the gardens and what I want to change for next year. I am always very inspired and motivated in the spring. I have visions of gardening, and taking care of my family with organic homegrown vegetables. I see myself in August, sweating while I am canning the tomatoes and pickling the cucumbers. Last spring, I planted cucumbers, zucchinis and tomatoes by my Lime Light hydrangeas. Bonus round, I had butternut squash that grew out of the compost that I had used to fertilize the soil. I love when God plants my vegetables for me. The butternut squash did well and I had a few cucumbers, but little else. I need to leave most of the food growing to the farmers. Next year, I will stick to my small vegetable bed. I will plant lettuce, herbs and maybe a tomato plant.

I harvested the vegetables and I decided to plant roses in the back corner. I hope they will thrive and flourish in a safe place. The were in my front yard and the deer were enjoying them as an appetizer. I am tired of spraying deer repellent. I hope they will be beautiful and have enough sun in the back yard. I will keep you posted. I have decided as you are my witness to make my gardens more permanent and not redo everything in the spring.

I am so grateful the OutdoorFit workouts enable me to pick up a shovel and plant pretty roses in my garden.

Love,

Mary

 “From a contemplative stance we will know what action is ours to do, which words we are called to say, and how our spirituality must be fully embodied in our political choices.” Richard Rohr

2 Grandmas and A Microphone #2 The Environment.

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It all started this week when I watched a you tube video of Rich Roll and Erin Brockovich. As you know, Erin is the queen of clean drinking water. As a trainer and a health coach I tell my OutdoorFit ladies to drink lots of water. My goal is a gallon of water a day. I would like to think I am drinking good quality water. I have a filter under the sink and we also use water filter pitchers. After watching the video, I decided to check the quality of our drinking water through our water company’s website. Who knew their were so many chemicals in H2O? It was very overwhelming. I am looking into a water filter system for our house. I think it is very sad and disturbing that you can’t rely on the quality of your tap water.  We are fortunate that we can afford to buy water filters for cleaner water. What happens to the people who aren’t as fortunate?

I was at a small dinner party a few weeks ago. I asked for a glass of water. The host offered me bottled water. I said I am sorry but I try my best not to use single use plastic. “She said have you read your water bill? You don’t want to drink the tap water.” Single use plastic is a whole other conversation, isn’t it?

This brings me to 2 Grandmas and A Microphone #2 The Environment.  Time for more research, especially with the presidential election coming up. My main concern is the environment and climate change. Vicky Perry and I decided it was time to go deeper. In the past, I would never speak up about these issues. I am a 9 on the Enneagram which is the peacemaker. I don’t want to deal with conflict, but this is too important to stay quiet.

 

Here are links if you want to go deeper in the conversation.

The climate engagement advisor board webinar .

Kiss the Ground is streaming on Netflix.

Vicky’s source for where the candidates stand on climate change.

What is your biggest concern this election? I would love to hear from you!

Love,

Mary

 

“We can disagree without being disagreeable.”

Ruth Bader Ginsberg

 

Grain Free Granola

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Would you like to try my Grain Free Granola recipe?  It is a treat you can have when you finish the 7 day…Feel Fabulous program. Every thing taste better with a little of this granola on top!

Grain Free Granola

3 cups chopped raw nuts

2 TBS Coconut Oil

1 TBS Cinnamon

1 ½ TBS Vanilla Extract

¾ tsp sea salt

1/4 cup maple syrup or honey

 

Put everything together on a cookie sheet with sides. Stir it and bake on 250 for an hour. Stirring a few times.

Portion control is key. Lots of calories. Delicious!!!

Enjoy!

Love,

Mary

Did you make your bed this morning?

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Martha Stewart advises, “don’t leave the house with an unmade bed.”

How many times did your Mom tell you to make your bed? How many times did you tell your kids to make their bed?

Making your bed can set you up for success in your day. You start your day off accomplishing a task.

Your bed room feels and looks less cluttered when your bed is made.

A made bed brings peace.

Your bed is where you sleep and restore for the next day. You deserve every night to be peaceful and comforting.

I like a duvet without a top sheet. It only takes a minute to make the bed and straighten the pillows. I got rid of the dust ruffle. George the dog liked to lay up against it. It was always hairy and dirty. One less thing to take care of.

A peaceful bed.

Making your bed is a great tip to reduce your cortisol levels, bring peace and it allows your body to calm down and release the excess weight. Amazing right?

Do you need a jumpstart to feeling your best? Check out my 7 Day..Feel Fabulous Program. We have a great community which brings immunity and more fun with friends!

Love,

Mary

Coziness

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A few years ago, I would tell friends that I have lost the feeling of coziness in my life. I really wasn’t sure what that meant or what  to do about it. I had lost the joy of doing simple things.

During my 30 Day Happiness Challenge with Little Bites of Joy, Andreea posted a photo of a book called The Cozy Life by Pia Edberg. “Rediscover the Joy of the Simple Things through the Danish Concept of Hygge. /HOO-gah/

“…the art of creating warmth, comfort, and well being through connection, treasuring the moment, and surrounding yourself with things you love.”

I love the book. There was one paragraph that really popped out at me.

A wonderful Book by Pia Edberg.

A wonderful Book by Pia Edberg.

“The joy in the simple things, such as making a home-cooked meal, cleaning the house, planting our own herbs, or inviting someone over for tea has been removed because we perceive them as difficult and time-consuming. We need to pause once in a while, embrace the calm, and find joy in the small details, even the task that seem so mundane.”

I started to read the book at the end of my 30 days no gluten, no sugar, no alcohol. Perfect timing. I figured out my next step.

Mindfulness.

My goal now is to slow down, be mindful and enjoy! Embrace the Hygge!