Caridad Pineiro® Romance Author
NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Romance Author
I’ve spent the morning working on some revisions to #3 in the South Beach Security Series, tentatively titled Killer in the Kennels. Now it’s time for some fun! Since we had a nice soaking rain, no need to water the garden although I will check and see if it’s okay and what I can harvest. After that, a walk and then a tough decision. Some time relaxing on the beach or a game of pickleball with hubby. Relax or pickleball? Maybe there’s time for both! Hope you’re doing something fun today!
The garden is coming along nicely and I can’t wait to pick the first tomatoes of summer. Last year the squirrel beat me to the first ripe tomato but I’ve got some netting up this year on the plant with them and am hopeful that will work. I’m so hopeful that as I was taking a walk, I noticed this cane “basket” that someone was tossing. It was right there on top of the garbage can and I couldn’t resist. I think it used to be either a purse or a sewing kit/cosmetic case, but the lid had fallen off. I guess that’s why someone decided to toss it. I saw possibilities for it as a basket to harvest my summer vegetables and herbs. A little paint to give it some color and soft rope for the handles and I’m hoping it will hold my first tomatoes! What do you think?
I’m running off to my Liberty States Fiction Writers meeting today for a fabulous workshop by Rona Gofstein. Then it’s time to run a few errands so I can get some more gardening done this weekend! I’ve already got some done for my little balcony. I decided to put some herbs there so I can get them more easily when cooking. Also some lovely flowers. In keeping with my goal to be healthier, I finally organized my weights so I can start doing some strength training! Yeah, me! What are you up to today?
With Mother’s Day rapidly approaching, I’m thinking of all the mothers out there who sacrifice so much for their children. Sometimes they sacrifice too much and forget that they need to take care of themselves! So today I’m sharing some tips for self-care. Of course one of those tips is to read a good book because a good book always makes me feel better. If you’re in need of one, good news! Darkness Calls, the first book in The Calling is Reborn series is now FREE on Kindle Unlimited. This is a series of my heart and has been critically acclaimed over the years. If I had to give you an elevator pitch for it, think of the series as Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets The X-Files! You can get Darkness Calls at https://amzn.to/42tJrjz.
As you may know from my posts, I love to garden and I love to be out in nature. So today, I’m taking a moment to celebrate Earth Day and to offer up some tips on how you can help the environment. Here goes:
1. Cut down on bottles and cans by using a Sodastream to make your fizzy drinks. It also saves you a ton of money!
2. Try to use less water when washing dishes and fix leaky faucets.
3. If you can, bike or walk to local places instead of popping into your car.
4. Recycle and upcycle if you can. Donate clothes and consider vintage. Avoid fast fashion places. Restore and repurpose old furniture.
5. Plant a tree or garden.
Happy Earth Day! Enjoy this wonderful Saturday!
I am so so excited that my lifestyle change is yielding good results, namely 27 pounds lost! That means I’m halfway to my goal. Woo hoo! I have been keeping to being more active, but still haven’t gotten into regular strength training and I should. More muscle helps burn more calories plus it’s important to build core strength to maintain posture, bone density, etc. What has been working for me? Here are my five top tips:
1. Drink more water. It helps flush toxins and can help you feel fuller so you don’t overeat.
2. Eat slower. I’ve always been a fast eater and now I am taking smaller bites and being mindful as I chew and swallow.
3. Be more active. I’ve been doing a daily walk in the a.m. and also 45 minutes on the elliptical in the afternoon.
4. Eat healthier. Eating way more fruits and vegetables. It’s been fun mixing them into my traditional recipes for things like pasta or frittatas.
5. Keep track of calories. I use my Fitbit app to track what I’m eating and make sure I’m sticking to my roughly 1200 daily calories.
One other thing that I do is to not deprive myself of a nighttime treat or sweet or carbs as a whole for that matter. I’ve done the whole no carb thing and it just creates a vicious rebound for me. So I am eating carbs, but limiting them. As for the treat, I think that if you’re too restrictive that only makes you resent what you’re doing and because of that, you eventually give up on it. Also, if you learn what is an acceptable treat, namely a small cookie or two, versus what isn’t, like an entire box, it will create a mindset that you can maintain for the future.
One of the things I treated myself to at the Flower Show was air plants. I love these things and they are so easy to kee[. When I picked them, I tried to find ones that were on the verge of blooming and some of them are finally gifting me with their flowers. They’re not big blooms, but special in their own way. I hope you have a very special Saturday! I’m off to work out and then do a writing stint. For dinner I’m reheating a stromboli I made the other day. Keeping it simple. What about you?
