Things to do instead of working out

First off, big congrats and happy link up anniversary to Tracy and Alyssa. I've joined in every month and have had fun doing so. But really, my posts are always the same. I'm not doing well, wah. No motivation, wah. Goals so far away, wah. etc etc. So today, I decided to do something a little different and I hope they don't mind.

Sometimes okay basically all the time I don't want to work out. I'm not a busy person. There is a lot going on in my life, and it's hard to fit exercise in when I'm busy doing all these things as well.

So. Here is a list of things that I do instead of working out.

I sleep in.

Well, most of the time I just lay there, wide awake, hitting the snooze.

I eat. I can't exercise if I'm eating, can I?

Even better if I'm eating bad food or food I'm not supposed to eat, because then I'm killing two birds with one stone - or rather, throwing two stones at one bird - the bird being my health.

I clean.

I have 3 cats you guys. I vacuum a lot. It takes a really long time, especially when Taylor Swift helps me.

I do laundry.

I shop.

Even when I shouldn't.

I watch netflix. Or, I attempt to.

I play the sims.

I say to KC 'we should do something!' but then have nothing to suggest.

I go to work early.

I think of excuses so that I can skip my workout that day.

Like, I already worked out this week month.

I write posts about not working out instead of working out. I google 'how to get motivation back' instead of getting my damn butt off the couch.

Life is hard y'all. What do you do instead of working out? Or do you have that motivation thing down?

Possibly changing travel plans

Hello, my name is Kristen and I love to travel. Even more than actually travelling, I love to plan it and talk about planning it. Wanted to share that, just in case you didn't know that about me, because it's not like I've shared it before or anything.

KC and I went to Australia in 2014. A few months ago, we went to Europe. These were the 2 big trips that I wanted to do, the 2 biggest things on my life list. KC made me promise that Europe would be the last 'big' trip for a few years, though we could do smaller trips like Disney (ha, our bank account laughs at calling Disney a 'small' trip), and I promised.

Then he made the mistake of saying how much he loved Europe and we should totally do it again. So I got to planning. But the reason he didn't want to do another big trip is because we need to do other things with our money, and Europe pushes those things further and further away. Our house needs new windows, we need a new bed (we only have a full, feel sorry for us), we want to pay off cars, etc etc. Things that don't seem pressing but the further they get pushed away, the less likely they are to happen.

As much as I would love to go to Europe again, and I know we could technically afford it, the other night I think I came to the realisation that we shouldn't.

So. Because I love to share my thoughts and can't make a decision on my own... The options for summer 2016 are:

1. Europe.

The original choice, one I'm not quite ready to let go of yet. Once I get something in my head, I'm not good at letting go. Example: I can be sitting on the couch, fine and dandy, happy as can be, not thinking about ice cream. KC says 'let's go get a blizzard' and I'm like 'OKAY' and then he says 'nah, we shouldn't' and I say 'bitch please, you know you can't put it in my head and then take it away'. So we go get blizzards. I haven't told KC that I've come to the realisation that we probably shouldn't go to Europe because I'm still not ready to let go, and once I tell him, it will be real and he will be all logical and whatnot.

The plans were: Munich, Berlin, Bruges and Amsterdam. I was actually able to get the budget down super low and it really won't be that expensive... But of course, it will be more expensive than other options.

2. The British Isles.

I haven't looked into it too much, but I wonder if staying within the British Isles would be cheaper. We could see more of Ireland that we didn't get to see last time, Scotland, go back to England and I could do Jane Austen related stuff. I'm sure KC wouldn't mind that...

Chatsworth House

3. The West Coast.

The plans would be San Fran, Seattle and Portland. Maybe I'd throw in Disneyland to make KC really sorry that he made me ditch Europe. Haha jk but not really. Honestly, this trip could be just as expensive as Europe (believe me, I priced it). Although, we could use miles for flights...

4. A cruise.

I'm kind of slightly terrified of ships. But we could do a cruise. I think. His mom mentioned it, because we actually invited her and my brother in law on the Europe trip and when we were talking about it possibly not happening, she suggested it. I wouldn't know where to start, or where to go. I do know that I would want to go somewhere in the Caribbean so I could make Kay come and meet me.

^^ I am not kidding when I say when I look at that picture, my stomach drops, my knees go weak and I want to cry. Hasn't anyone else seen Ghost Ship or Poseidon or I don't know, Titanic?! WTF there is nothing around that ship JUST WATER and I need to move on before I vomit.

5. Hawaii.

I've been to Hawaii, KC has not. It's halfway between the US and Aus, so I could maybe make my mummy meet us. But, it's certainly not cheap. I only visited Waikiki and didn't love love love it, so I'm weary of going again but if we went, I'd want to see more.

6. Canada.

We could go to Canada. I've heard it's pretty. Martin Short always makes me want to visit when I watch the O, Canada thingy at Epcot. Flights are surprisingly affordable.

7. Somewhere else in the US.

I have been to almost half of the states, but honestly, a lot of that was during my first trip to the US and it was a crazy whirlwind that I barely remember. Plus, I'd love to go places with KC. But when I think about where else to go in the states, I get overwhelmed. Partly because I've already been so many places and I want to go somewhere new, partly because there are so many places I haven't been and I just don't know where to start.

The thing is, I still want it to be a 'big' trip because I like big trips. I like taking 2 weeks and planning a fabulous holiday. The reason I really want to go back to Europe is because I think that it will become less feasible as we get older or have kids. That might not be true for everyone, but I think it will be for us.

Also, the other thing is I don't even know if I want to go to Munich, Berlin etc. I mean, of course I want to go, but I don't know if I want to go as much as I wanted to go to Paris and Rome. You know? Does anyone understand my brain, when I don't even understand it? Help me.

Obviously, I am quite aware how lucky I am to have such a problem, when many others are unable to travel. I am lucky (and thankful) that my husband goes along with my dreams even though he does not have that wanderlust soul. I am lucky I work hard and am able to save my money to have the choice to go to these places. I am aware of that, and I am grateful to be able to travel. I will never not be grateful. But I will also be conflicted on where to go, apparently.

Suggestions?

All things Autumn / Fall

Apparently, today is the first day of fall. Even though seasons starting on a random date is confusing to me, I can get behind talking about Autumn things. Excited to link up with Pinky and Katie today.

I feel like I'm in the minority in blogland, I'm not super obsessed with all things fall like I feel other people are. I don't like (sweet) pumpkin things, I don't own a vest or any plaid (oops, now I own some plaid), I'm not a huge fan of thanksgiving (gasp) or football.. am I going to be ostracised? Also, Autumn basically means one thing to me: it's about to get cold.

But, there is a sweet spot. Where the weather is cool but not cold, where my husband lets me open the doors and windows, where the fashion trends are new and exciting and different, where cold weather comfort food is new and more exciting than a salad, where I don't almost pass out after a hot bath, where I can run in the middle of the day and not worry about dying.

In addition to the above, here are some things I like / am excited about for Autumn:

Soup.

Tomato soup and pumpkin soup are my faves. At home, pumpkin is not something that is ever 'sweet' like pumpkin spice lattes or pumpkin pie, it is always savoury. I have not yet mastered making either soup on my own, but I do want to try. The best part about America loving sweet pumpkin things is that you can get canned pumpkin, so I can hopefully make this super easy recipe without dealing with an actual pumpkin, and alter it to taste like my mum's.

When I was at home, my favourite canned soup was Campbells, but you can't get it here. I've tried other 'pre-made' ones but honestly, the spices and flavouring are different than what I'm after. My favourite tomato soup off the shelf is from TJs, of course.

Other comfort food.

I love a good bowl of soup and some chunky bread (or grilled cheese) to go with it, but my favourite thing about cold weather is alllll of the comfort food.

Butter chickpeas / chicken. I'll eat this year round, but there is no denying it tastes a little bit better when it's cold out.

Butter chickpeas for dinner - and this qualifies for #thirstythursday because I would totally drink this sauce if it were appropriate #31photosinbetween #foodstagram #vegetarian

A photo posted by Kristen (@seeyouinaporridge) on Jul 16, 2015 at 3:19pm PDT

Mashed potatoes and gravy. I actually do not know how to make mashed potatoes and gravy from scratch, don't judge me. Maybe I will try the below recipe this year. Also, maybe not thanks Betty Crocker.

Vegan Porcini Mushroom Gravy

Mac n cheese. Would you believe I had never had mac n cheese before I moved here? Cheese and pasta sounded so gross, and I definitely have had a lot of gross ones. For KC's birthday party I finally made it myself and it was so good I wanted to eat the whole thing myself.. and I made enough for 20 people so... that's a lot of mac n cheese.

Miracle Mac n Cheese

Shepherd's Pie. I first made this last year and it was such a hit that I make it regularly now. The below is a pretty similar recipe to what I do, but for KC I add turkey. Also, mine is only vegetarian, not vegan. It's not a quick recipe (I'm slow in the kitchen) but it makes so much and freezes SO well. I also made it for my friend when she had her baby and they loved it. I'd be happy to share my recipe if anyone is interested...

1 Hour Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Clothes.

and of course, with all that comfort food comes a few extra pounds that can be hidden under chunky sweaters. Also, I love a good scarf and some ankle booties too. I really love olive items, but don't own any anymore.

via On The Daily Express

via Southern Curls and Pearls

hey that's me

via Outfit Posts

via The Londoner

via Babble / Merrick's Art

via On The Daily Express

via Outfit Posts (original blog gone)

via Polyvore

Things I don't like about Autumn:

Apart from the whole winter is coming.. leaves. Leaves looked so fun and happy in movies but ugh they are such a pain in the butt.

The Australian's expectation of leaves falling:

My reaction when KC says we need to rake leaves again:

Someone please tell me why we bought a house with not one, two or three but four big trees that think it's their job to drop their leaves every-damn-where.

Anyway, I am not against autumn in any way, and I can recognise why so many people love it. I will enjoy it until winter is around the corner, and then I will be counting down the days until summer again. But clearly I like quite a lot about Autumn, so it's not all bad.

What's your favourite thing about Autumn?

A picture tells a thousand words

Or, I tell a thousand words about these pictures. You're welcome.

We all know instagram and the like only shows the good things, yadi yadi yada. I don't actually mind that, but I do love to learn the story behind the pictures. I thought I would share some tidbits about a couple of recent pictures. The 'story' is below the corresponding picture. I might have gone a little overboard.. what else is new?

Me: can you take that stupid hat off?
KC: no.

As you can see, we sat in the grass. The next day I woke up with a red splotchy allergic reaction all over my body. You can kind of see it in the below picture on my shoulders. It was all over my arms, even on my palms and it hurt like a mother trucker. We stopped in at a pharmacy to get some allergy pills but unfortunately they didn't help, it didn't completely disappear until we were in Dublin.

Also, KC and I had a little spat that day. #reallifeyall

Viking Splash Tour... I swear up and down, black and blue, that I booked this for noon but apparently I booked it for 10am (very unlike me to make a mistake planning) so we arrived 'late' and we missed our tour. They were completely booked for the rest of the day. I cried because I don't like when plans go wrong (or I make mistakes) so they arranged another tour for walk-ups and us. I was still a bit teary when we got on the duck boat thing, so KC indulged me with those hats and a picture.

Not my beer.

Lets take our jackets off really quick to take a photo even though it's minus a million degrees and this is really cold and uncomfortable dude hurry up and take the photo.

When you try and take a pretty picture for Instagram but your cat is like 'I eats this?' 😻 No Millie, we don't eat books 😡 just finished Code Name Verity and I loved it.. I love books that make me want to hug the people in my life. This one made me want to hug my best friend ❤️ and also, I wanted to hug the characters because that's not weird. Can't wait to see what everyone has been reading tomorrow for Show Us Your Books!

A photo posted by Kristen (@seeyouinaporridge) on Sep 7, 2015 at 5:03pm PDT

Put book down for photo. Millie tries to eat book. I thought it would be funny to take a picture of her doing so, I am now missing the bottom right corner of that book. Next time she chews one of my books, she'll be so confused 'but mum, you let me do it last time?'

Happy birthday 'merica! #4thofjuly #31photosinbetween

A photo posted by Kristen (@seeyouinaporridge) on Jul 4, 2015 at 8:30am PDT

She projectile vomited 10 seconds after this picture, thankfully, I had her facing out so none of it got on me. This might have been because she has 'gotten me' in the past.

A little bit of yoga, a little bit of weights and a lot of cats - happy Monday! #mondaymotivation #31photosinbetween #yoga #badyogi #doyouevenlift #cats

A photo posted by Kristen (@seeyouinaporridge) on Jul 13, 2015 at 3:55am PDT

I basically never get the stupid yoga mat out anymore because the cats hog the whole damn thing.

Tagged by @tillthensmileoften and @lifeaccordingtosteph for #widn and I'm just rolling with (one of) my homies how bout you @alyssagoesbang @tracyachangeofpace @lifebynadine @recentsomethings #crazycatlady #cats

A photo posted by Kristen (@seeyouinaporridge) on Apr 25, 2015 at 8:42am PDT

Chelsea normally loves the car. We took her on a slightly longer drive and it started to rain and she was so scared, panting and meowing. So what better way to document how bad of a cat parent I am, but to take a photo.

Tagged by @tillthensmileoften and @joelizabeth for #widn - I was planning my casual Friday outfit (and trying to take a pinteresty photo) but Chelsea was like 'mum, these boots are cuuuuute!' I know, Chelsea! I tag @alyssagoesbang @tracytrisblog @marcie_pants @ladylaynie @rebeccajoknits

A photo posted by Kristen (@seeyouinaporridge) on Jan 30, 2015 at 4:30am PST

Story of my life: try to take a picture, one of 3 cats wanders in. Options: throw cat (nicely) across the room (really, nicely I promise, they love it) or deal with it. Hence, lots of cats in my pictures.

This is one of my favourite photos ever. This was at my bridal shower and my MIL was being.. well, not very nice, and the girls and I went outside to take a bunch of silly photos. Jenni (on the left) is shorter and she grabbed the back of my dress and pulled herself up to be taller than the rest of us - I guess you had to be there but we were all laughing so hard and it makes me laugh every time I see it.

Thanks for hosting such a fun link up Elle!

Do your pets 'ruin' your pictures?