Oh wow! That sounds like quite the adventure! The one thing I'm really terrified is that I'll do something wrong and it'll end up passing away like some of the fish I had last year. If you were able to take care of it for so long while you were young though that gives me a little bit more hope.

Oh wow! My life is soooo far away from this level of organization, lol! Most of the healthy food goes in the fridge to rot these days.

*wanders in* Hello all.

Hello Kirin, how are you doing?

I am doing alright..

Wants ball, but can't has ball.

hiya, blue❗️

Hiya hummy! *glomps* It's great to see you and your little hummingbirds again!

Originally Posted by hummy

hiya, blue❗️

hey

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

Oh wow! That sounds like quite the adventure! The one thing I'm really terrified is that I'll do something wrong and it'll end up passing away like some of the fish I had last year. If you were able to take care of it for so long while you were young though that gives me a little bit more hope.

Oh wow! My life is soooo far away from this level of organization, lol! Most of the healthy food goes in the fridge to rot these days.

Yes for sure! I think lizards are easier to care for than fish in the sense that so much could go wrong in water that you wouldn't even know!

LOL I am organization obsessed. Have you seen The Home Edit on Netflix? I'm obsessed. Every inch of my home has some sort of organization tool in it. And my healthy food used to rot too when it was shoved in the fridge. I super recommend glass containers, all leftovers get used up when you can see them!! :)

@ Blue: How are you doing?

@ Randee: I haven't seen that. I don't have much time or attention for shows these days, sadly, but it sounds pretty cool!

I do have glass containers, though, and use them; I'm just not good at keeping up with preparing food lately. My executive functioning took a nose dive during the pandemic, and I was diagnosed with ADHD last year. I'm super overwhelmed most of the time, so it's hard to get myself to cook or eat properly. I'm trying to rebuild good life habits, but it's been a very slow process.

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

I do have glass containers, though, and use them; I'm just not good at keeping up with preparing food lately. My executive functioning took a nose dive during the pandemic, and I was diagnosed with ADHD last year. I'm super overwhelmed most of the time, so it's hard to get myself to cook or eat properly. I'm trying to rebuild good life habits, but it's been a very slow process.

i feeel this. i worked so hard last year to get my activities of daily living to any semblance of order. i struggle so much to make meals, even when i have all the ingredients in the fridge and a recipe in front of me, it's the getting into the kitchen and getting started and not walking away and forgetting about a hot pan on the stove that gets me. but last year i really started brushing my teeth better, to the point where my dentist was both proud and shocked with how clean i kept my teeth so maybe this year i can get the hang of food.

i'm at least better than last year; last year i didn't even know what ingredients to get or what recipes would be good for me. i have IBS and a fruit-latex allergy, and i try to avoid fats, sugars, and gluten, so it can be tough to find safe foods for me. but i used to work at a fast casual restaurant that prided itself on being healthy and fresh, so it prepared me a lot more than i realized. i more or less know what kinds of foods go together and what sides to add to make a full meal, so now i'm like why did i avoid doing that for so long?? why did i think it was ok to literally just sit there and eat a whole package of string cheese? but we live, and we learn.

Originally Posted by ghostPastry

i feeel this. i worked so hard last year to get my activities of daily living to any semblance of order. i struggle so much to make meals, even when i have all the ingredients in the fridge and a recipe in front of me, it's the getting into the kitchen and getting started and not walking away and forgetting about a hot pan on the stove that gets me. but last year i really started brushing my teeth better, to the point where my dentist was both proud and shocked with how clean i kept my teeth so maybe this year i can get the hang of food.

Yes, this exactly! I get some meal plan boxes from time to time so I literally have the ingredients for some pesto gnocchi bake in my fridge right now. I know it's a delicious recipe and I want to eat it. But for the life of me I can't get myself to make the dish. Eventually the stress of the food going bad and not wanting to waste my money will jar me into action but in the meantime I feel guilty thinking about the stuff sitting in my fridge...

I also super struggle with good oral hygiene. I brush my teeth at night and rinse but the flossing part doesn't always happen and most mornings I think about brushing my teeth and then realize at like 3pm that I've forgotten.

Originally Posted by ghostPastry

i'm at least better than last year; last year i didn't even know what ingredients to get or what recipes would be good for me. i have IBS and a fruit-latex allergy, and i try to avoid fats, sugars, and gluten, so it can be tough to find safe foods for me. but i used to work at a fast casual restaurant that prided itself on being healthy and fresh, so it prepared me a lot more than i realized. i more or less know what kinds of foods go together and what sides to add to make a full meal, so now i'm like why did i avoid doing that for so long?? why did i think it was ok to literally just sit there and eat a whole package of string cheese? but we live, and we learn.

I mean, when you're really struggling, you eat what you can, even if it's a whole package of string cheese. I want to try harder to get more of those steam fresh veggie things and microwave rice packets to make eating "real" food at least a little bit easier when I just can't get myself to cook (which is often these days). I'm glad you've found some things that work well for you though! What are some of the meals you've discovered that you really like?

Kitteh enjoys boxing.

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

Yes, this exactly! I get some meal plan boxes from time to time so I literally have the ingredients for some pesto gnocchi bake in my fridge right now. I know it's a delicious recipe and I want to eat it. But for the life of me I can't get myself to make the dish.

that sounds so good you can do it!!

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

Eventually the stress of the food going bad and not wanting to waste my money will jar me into action but in the meantime I feel guilty thinking about the stuff sitting in my fridge...

ugh yes!! exactly! and then i end up feeling so guilty that i don't want to buy fresh veggies the next time for the fear of me wasting them again for no good reason

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

I mean, when you're really struggling, you eat what you can, even if it's a whole package of string cheese.

you're so right. u_u and i was in school at the time, close to graduating, so i'll give myself some lenience.

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

I want to try harder to get more of those steam fresh veggie things and microwave rice packets to make eating "real" food at least a little bit easier when I just can't get myself to cook (which is often these days).

yes! broccoli in a steamer bag was a real revelation for me, i eat at least a cup of leafy veggies a day now thanks to those, they really go with a ton of other things i'm already eating, so i can just throw it in the microwave with my pad thai or whatever and boom i have a dish 3x as healthy! and it's really filling too. i've started being able to even just eat broccoli on its own, but usually i at least put a little pesto or soy sauce to convince myself to start eating. because of course i even struggle to eat after the food is already made

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

I'm glad you've found some things that work well for you though! What are some of the meals you've discovered that you really like?

Sweet potatoes!!! Regular potatoes too, they're so filling and they taste really good with even just a little olive oil and black pepper, and a lot of salt. They can be a whole meal, but I still like to pair them with some frozen veggies; asparagus, corn, peas, and carrots are always really good in frozen steamer bags too, and so are berries. even if the frozen berries are really expensive, they cost less than fresh and don't go bad and it's so worth it for all the smoothies you could make. and then if you want a protein, meat-free nuggets are always a good struggle meal since they take so little time and can be microwaved and have a lot of protein. you can have them with meat too, i just prefer the mushroom type.

I'm also really into tofu because you can eat it raw or cook it, and it tastes good with even the teeeeny tiniest bit of seasoning/sauce, because you can overdo it really easy. but it doesn't go great with potatoes, so i normally just add it to some frozen noodle dish (Trader Joes has a lot of yummy healthy frozen meals i like, they're generally really good with how healthy yet delicious their recipes are, if you have one near you i highly recommend it!) tofu also goes really well with Black Bean pasta, which is my one true love. i've been making what i call "dry miso" lately, where i just put some soy sauce on black bean pasta with tofu, no broth, and it tastes umami enough that it works!

for breakfast, i love kefir, plain greek yogurt with honey and jam, and waffles!!! waffles are so good. i usually get them gluten-free with blueberries, and most GF brands have about the same consistency and flavor as regular waffles. and then i've been supplementing my love of cheese with goat cheese and rice thin crackers, which go really good with the frozen berries.

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

I also super struggle with good oral hygiene. I brush my teeth at night and rinse but the flossing part doesn't always happen and most mornings I think about brushing my teeth and then realize at like 3pm that I've forgotten.

oh mood i've found for me that if i don't pressure myself to do it in the morning and do it at 3pm when i remember instead, i get the same amount of clean and i'm more likely to do it. it's nice too because you get to brush away your breakfast and lunch apparently it works, according to my dentist, so i feel like i've hacked life and they just recently told me you only have to floss once a day instead of twice?? but i think i might keep flossing twice, because as soon as they told me that, i started forgetting to floss at all again

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

@ Randee: I haven't seen that. I don't have much time or attention for shows these days, sadly, but it sounds pretty cool!

I do have glass containers, though, and use them; I'm just not good at keeping up with preparing food lately. My executive functioning took a nose dive during the pandemic, and I was diagnosed with ADHD last year. I'm super overwhelmed most of the time, so it's hard to get myself to cook or eat properly. I'm trying to rebuild good life habits, but it's been a very slow process.

Oh my gosh I just love those organization ladies, they do Reese Witherspoons closet in one episode, with all her Legally Blonde items and I just swooned. I watched this one while cleaning, but I try to make time twice a week to watch an episode of something, or having a family movie night!

Hey you gotta do what works for you! I don't suffer from any sort of mental health (anxiety, depression etc.) or any ADHD and I am thankful every day, but I can imagine how difficult life would be with the added items to deal with! I legit send massive kudos to everyone suffering/coping with any sort of issue. Remember you're one strong lady just makin' it through the day every day! And building new habits takes time, so don't be hard on yourself!

---------- Post added 01-10-2023 at 12:40 PM ----------

Originally Posted by ghostPastry

i feeel this. i worked so hard last year to get my activities of daily living to any semblance of order. i struggle so much to make meals, even when i have all the ingredients in the fridge and a recipe in front of me, it's the getting into the kitchen and getting started and not walking away and forgetting about a hot pan on the stove that gets me. but last year i really started brushing my teeth better, to the point where my dentist was both proud and shocked with how clean i kept my teeth so maybe this year i can get the hang of food.

i'm at least better than last year; last year i didn't even know what ingredients to get or what recipes would be good for me. i have IBS and a fruit-latex allergy, and i try to avoid fats, sugars, and gluten, so it can be tough to find safe foods for me. but i used to work at a fast casual restaurant that prided itself on being healthy and fresh, so it prepared me a lot more than i realized. i more or less know what kinds of foods go together and what sides to add to make a full meal, so now i'm like why did i avoid doing that for so long?? why did i think it was ok to literally just sit there and eat a whole package of string cheese? but we live, and we learn.

I'm not laughing AT you, but the string cheese comment had me keeled over LOL That was cute.

I am really great at meal prepping, but there are many nights where I open the fridge and say "ugh it's just all ingredients" and I get overwhelmed lol so for me I have to food prep on Sundays for the entire week, otherwise I'll next stick to it! And teeth health is so so so important so that is AMAZING!!! Sounds like you've got this!

Originally Posted by R a n d e h

I'm not laughing AT you, but the string cheese comment had me keeled over LOL That was cute.

well if you're not laughing at me, then i am picture me like a little mouse nibbling on my cheese

Originally Posted by R a n d e h

I am really great at meal prepping, but there are many nights where I open the fridge and say "ugh it's just all ingredients" and I get overwhelmed lol so for me I have to food prep on Sundays for the entire week, otherwise I'll next stick to it!

that's a good skill to have! i've been prepping my salads ahead of time and it's really been helping, because i get so overwhelmed by all the fresh veggies, and the tupperwares seem to keep them fresh a little longer. and for some reason, chopping everything all at once really is easier than having to bust out (and then wash) the cutting board each time.

Originally Posted by R a n d e h

And teeth health is so so so important so that is AMAZING!!! Sounds like you've got this!

thank you it really makes me happy because i had to have so much work done as a kid because my parents didn't really teach me well, so it makes me feel good to be able to care for myself as an adult. and definitely good to spend less time in one of those awful chairs.

Originally Posted by ghostPastry

well if you're not laughing at me, then i am picture me like a little mouse nibbling on my cheese

LOL

Originally Posted by ghostPastry

that's a good skill to have! i've been prepping my salads ahead of time and it's really been helping, because i get so overwhelmed by all the fresh veggies, and the tupperwares seem to keep them fresh a little longer. and for some reason, chopping everything all at once really is easier than having to bust out (and then wash) the cutting board each time.

YES! This exactly! Also, did you know if you chop up strawberries and put them in a mason jar in the fridge they last for like EVER?! I use mason jars so much now lol

Originally Posted by ghostPastry

thank you it really makes me happy because i had to have so much work done as a kid because my parents didn't really teach me well, so it makes me feel good to be able to care for myself as an adult. and definitely good to spend less time in one of those awful chairs.

Okay I'm a bit of a freak of nature...I love going to the dentist. Getting my teeth cleaned is one of my favourite pastimes and I would do it weekly if I could afford it LOL My work benefits cover every 3 months but I would love to go more LOL

But that is really awesome! So many people go through life abusing their teeth and then regret it when they are older and in pain! So huge pat on the back for a job well done friend!

@ Ghosty: Hopefully I can get up the gumption to make it tonight. Fingers crossed that I can get my work done and time and not work too late!

I once saw an ADHD meme from one of the Facebook groups I'm in about almost leaving the grocery store without getting that bag of spring mix to forget about in the fridge and I honestly never felt so called out.

I wish I liked steamed veggies more. I like roasted veggies waaay more for the crispier texture and richer flavor but they're not as easy to make as microwave-steamed ones. Still, I do have an air fryer which does make it easier to "bake" things quickly. I need to take advantage of that more as well. I tend to use it to make chicken tenders, similar to your veggie nuggets. I've found that those do something weird to my tummy that it doesn't like so I stick to the actual chicken. The air fryer is also really great for making tofu! You can cut it up into cubes and just throw it in for like 10-20 minutes depending on how crispy you like it and then eat it with your store-bought sauce of preference. For me it's sweet chili sauce!

I've definitely started picking up frozen fruits because I was tired of throwing away fresh fruit. I think in the end it does save money because it's less waste, at least for me. I still struggle with actually getting them out and eating them though. It's really expensive to buy fresh already cut up fruit but I do that once in a while too because the fewer barriers there are to preparing something the more likely I'll be to actually eat it (though it still doesn't always happen).

I've recently started raiding some of those Trader Joe's frozen meals. They have some burrito thing that's pretty good and I just picked up a quiche a week or two ago that I only just remembered was in the freezer today. Their French onion soup is also really good but takes forever to cook if you want to do it in the oven!

OMG your breakfast sounds amazing... I need you to come and make me breakfast every morning! For a while I was doing these yogurt parfaits with greek yogurt, raspberries, honey, and granola but I haven't made it in a while. It's nice because I can prep it the night before. I also did some overnight oats. They're pretty easy too and you can do them however you want. For me it's usually oats, almond milk, a little maple syrup, and good to go. I really need to get back to making these...

Oh that's really good to know, thanks for sharing your life hack! My dentist tells me I should be flossing twice a day but it's honestly probably because my teeth aren't the greatest with the whole forgetting to brush thing. I got a water flosser a while back and I quite like that when I do it. It's nice to see the tangible results of the action when little bits of food get rinsed out into the sink (hopefully that's not too gross to share ).

---------- Post added 01-10-2023 at 02:25 PM ----------

@ Randee: I'm trying to work through a few series with my BF like His Dark Materials and Rings of Power but sometimes in the middle of the episode I get so antsy that I feel like I'm being shackled to the couch and absolutely need to get up and DO something. It's not so bad if it's a series that I can "watch" while doing something else at the same time but if I really want to see what's going on it can be difficult.

Aw, thanks for that reminder. I know I've made a lot more progress than I give myself credit for but I get frustrated that I don't feel like I'm really building on the things I'm trying to do. Like I have a hard time drinking enough water or taking my meds on time. I feel like most (neurotypical) people would be like ok, this month I'm going to focus on drinking enough water. They get that habit down and then next month they focus on getting 3 servings of veggies a day, and then the next month waking up earlier or whatever. Except I never get past that first stage. Maybe one day I'll drink enough water. If I'm really good I might even have a few good days in a row. But in the end I try different tricks but never manage to stick with it make it a platform for the next thing. So I spend my life flailing about from one failed thing to the other whether that be taking pills on time or hydrating or moving or eating nutritious food or going to bed on time or whatever. It's super frustrating!

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

@ Randee: I'm trying to work through a few series with my BF like His Dark Materials and Rings of Power but sometimes in the middle of the episode I get so antsy that I feel like I'm being shackled to the couch and absolutely need to get up and DO something. It's not so bad if it's a series that I can "watch" while doing something else at the same time but if I really want to see what's going on it can be difficult.

LOL Is your BF the same way? Or does he need you to sit down LOL! I am almost done Rings of Power, I liked it! I don't think I've watched His Dark Materials!

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

Aw, thanks for that reminder. I know I've made a lot more progress than I give myself credit for but I get frustrated that I don't feel like I'm really building on the things I'm trying to do. Like I have a hard time drinking enough water or taking my meds on time. I feel like most (neurotypical) people would be like ok, this month I'm going to focus on drinking enough water. They get that habit down and then next month they focus on getting 3 servings of veggies a day, and then the next month waking up earlier or whatever. Except I never get past that first stage. Maybe one day I'll drink enough water. If I'm really good I might even have a few good days in a row. But in the end I try different tricks but never manage to stick with it make it a platform for the next thing. So I spend my life flailing about from one failed thing to the other whether that be taking pills on time or hydrating or moving or eating nutritious food or going to bed on time or whatever. It's super frustrating!

Okay that DOES sound frustrating, but I think it just means you haven't found what works for you yet! For example, I consider myself pretty put together, but if I don't put alarm reminders for my daily vitamins I will not take them. So my phone buzzes three times a day to remind me. I also have an agenda in paper that I use pens to note down every single thing going on because if I don't, I will double book and miss things. I've tried using electronic version and it never worked. I needed the good old pen and paper. Water wise, I had to buy a bottle that was big enough to hold 40oz of water, and I set reminders that go off every 30 mins to drink water. So I'm thinking you just haven't found the trick that works for you yet! And it's okay to be overwhelmed, just take a step back and try again another time when you feel up to it!! Did you get out of bed today? That in itself can be an accomplishment! Did you not tell off a coworker who drives you mad? Another accomplishment LOL Take the wins where you can and don't focus on the losses!

@ Randee: Ahaha we're both polar opposites in that way. He loves to watch stuff. He works really long days at the hospital so I think he really enjoys sitting down to relax in the evenings while I spend most of the day sitting for work so I'm always up and about trying to do things. So yeah, he watches a lot of documentaries and stuff that I can sit in on if I want or ignore if I don't want to and then we save certain series to watch together like Rings of Power but getting through them takes forever because I can never sit down.

The thing with ADHD too is that even if you find a system that works one week, we so easily get bored or desensitized that it might not work the next week. Like I used to set myself an alarm to go to bed at a certain time but after a while I started snoozing it so much that I just turned it off, LOL! I do have alarms set for my afternoon meds though so that does help. For drinking water, I was using this app called Plant Nanny for a while. It was fun "watering" my plant and watching it grow but then it also fell by the wayside... I have been doing a pretty good job with my planner though and doing my daily German lessons for the most part so there is that!

Originally Posted by R a n d e h

LOL

YES! This exactly! Also, did you know if you chop up strawberries and put them in a mason jar in the fridge they last for like EVER?! I use mason jars so much now lol

oo i have to try that! i've been putting cilantro and parsley in glass tupperwares with a little water and it's been keeping them so long it's amazing. i feel like i have a bunch of mason jars somewhere but they're never findable when i try to use them

Originally Posted by R a n d e h

Okay I'm a bit of a freak of nature...I love going to the dentist. Getting my teeth cleaned is one of my favourite pastimes and I would do it weekly if I could afford it LOL My work benefits cover every 3 months but I would love to go more LOL

But that is really awesome! So many people go through life abusing their teeth and then regret it when they are older and in pain! So huge pat on the back for a job well done friend!

that's cool though! it does feel like you're part of a very futuristic science experiment and my mouth always feels so pristine afterwards, i can't believe i spent the whole first two years of the pandemic without going at all

thank you for the pat! i feel even more motivated now

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

@ Ghosty: Hopefully I can get up the gumption to make it tonight. Fingers crossed that I can get my work done and time and not work too late!

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

I once saw an ADHD meme from one of the Facebook groups I'm in about almost leaving the grocery store without getting that bag of spring mix to forget about in the fridge and I honestly never felt so called out.

omg that's a real mood. it reminds me of this meme too:

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

I wish I liked steamed veggies more. I like roasted veggies waaay more for the crispier texture and richer flavor but they're not as easy to make as microwave-steamed ones.

absolutely valid, anything roasted is so delicious. carrots and parsnips are so good thrown in the oven at like 425ºF for an hour with potato wedges. beets too i think, but i haven't tried it, they intimidate me for some reason.

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

Still, I do have an air fryer which does make it easier to "bake" things quickly. I need to take advantage of that more as well. I tend to use it to make chicken tenders, similar to your veggie nuggets. I've found that those do something weird to my tummy that it doesn't like so I stick to the actual chicken.

we have an air fryer portion in our insta pot, but i'm also intimidated by that it's my partner's, so i'm worried about ruining it somehow or burning myself. but i did download a bunch of free kindle books of airfryer recipes, so i'm excited to never use those

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

The air fryer is also really great for making tofu! You can cut it up into cubes and just throw it in for like 10-20 minutes depending on how crispy you like it and then eat it with your store-bought sauce of preference. For me it's sweet chili sauce!

although this is convincing me to break out the instruction manual and learn how to use it because fried tofu is so good

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

I've definitely started picking up frozen fruits because I was tired of throwing away fresh fruit. I think in the end it does save money because it's less waste, at least for me. I still struggle with actually getting them out and eating them though. It's really expensive to buy fresh already cut up fruit but I do that once in a while too because the fewer barriers there are to preparing something the more likely I'll be to actually eat it (though it still doesn't always happen).

sometimes it's worth it to pay extra for convenience! i'm always tempted by those, but i feel like i would still ignore it in my fridge long enough for it to go bad. i struggle with eating most frozen berries too because they require some prep, but frozen raspberries have been my fave lately because they're soft enough to eat frozen and it's like dippin dots.

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

I've recently started raiding some of those Trader Joe's frozen meals. They have some burrito thing that's pretty good and I just picked up a quiche a week or two ago that I only just remembered was in the freezer today. Their French onion soup is also really good but takes forever to cook if you want to do it in the oven!

yessss. i like their burritos and taquitos and stuff! they do a good job with the flavors, and a lot of them are actually made in their country of origin.

i like getting my frozen seafood there, they have really nice fresh cuts and they keep well in the freezer for a while. they're a little annoying to defrost, but i could never make fresh seafood last in the fridge x_x

and i've been really loving all their asian food, the Korean Beef Bulgogi is delicious and it's not spicy so it doesn't bother my stomach, and their postickerssss , and i just tried their vegan pad thai, i had to add some tofu, broccoli, shredded carrots, and mushrooms because it was a little anemic (i think they try to save space on the shelf) but it was a great base, and the sauce was tasty. it was a little spicy for me, but uncooked tofu really mellowed it out.

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

OMG your breakfast sounds amazing... I need you to come and make me breakfast every morning!

honestly i need to have me come make my breakfast every morning too most of the time i just chug a cup of kefir so i don't get nauseous and then executive dysfunction dilly dally around until 1pm when i get hungry enough to convince me to actually make my fancy yogurt or cereal or something. second breakfast i guess oh shit speaking of which i haven't done that yet today.... oops. i guess talk is cheap

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

For a while I was doing these yogurt parfaits with greek yogurt, raspberries, honey, and granola but I haven't made it in a while. It's nice because I can prep it the night before. I also did some overnight oats. They're pretty easy too and you can do them however you want. For me it's usually oats, almond milk, a little maple syrup, and good to go. I really need to get back to making these...

ok you're singlehandedly gonna get me to go make food rn

i gotta get back to oatmeal too! we always do the insta oats and they're so easy in the microwave, but i never know how much water to add or what a good portion size is so i've been avoiding it. i really just gotta look up a recipe, it's not even hard

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

Oh that's really good to know, thanks for sharing your life hack! My dentist tells me I should be flossing twice a day but it's honestly probably because my teeth aren't the greatest with the whole forgetting to brush thing. I got a water flosser a while back and I quite like that when I do it. It's nice to see the tangible results of the action when little bits of food get rinsed out into the sink (hopefully that's not too gross to share ).

it might have just been my dental hygienist's opinion, i feel like everyone has a different idea of how much you should floss and brush. some people say to do both after every meal i eat like 6 small meals a day so that won't work

water picks are so good! especially when your gums get puffy, it just feels nice. i wanna bust mine out again, but i haven't been motivated to clean it since my dentist gave me such a star review i must remain vigilant!

omg the little bits motivate me more than anything i'm a gross boye so i'm gonna continue this line of conversation my dentist showed these little white bacteria thingies that build up under your gums when you don't floss, and it like changed my life, i always go over them with the tip of my flosser now, it's so satisfying to see them come out.

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

@ Randee: Ahaha we're both polar opposites in that way. He loves to watch stuff. He works really long days at the hospital so I think he really enjoys sitting down to relax in the evenings while I spend most of the day sitting for work so I'm always up and about trying to do things. So yeah, he watches a lot of documentaries and stuff that I can sit in on if I want or ignore if I don't want to and then we save certain series to watch together like Rings of Power but getting through them takes forever because I can never sit down.

The thing with ADHD too is that even if you find a system that works one week, we so easily get bored or desensitized that it might not work the next week. Like I used to set myself an alarm to go to bed at a certain time but after a while I started snoozing it so much that I just turned it off, LOL! I do have alarms set for my afternoon meds though so that does help. For drinking water, I was using this app called Plant Nanny for a while. It was fun "watering" my plant and watching it grow but then it also fell by the wayside... I have been doing a pretty good job with my planner though and doing my daily German lessons for the most part so there is that!

Okay I can see how you both would crave different activities in the evening based on your work alone haha! My husband works in IT for the city and he works from home, so he's always wanting to go and do stuff after work, whereas I just got home so I want to stay in lol.

I've seen some tiktok videos (here I go again LOL) of people with ADHD that took their cupboard doors off and apparently that helped them immensely, with what I couldn't really tell but it's def a thing as there are a TON of videos on it lol. ANNNND that app sounds amazing, how have I never heard of a watering plant while drinking app. I am going to download it LOL

See you're on fire with the german and the planner, take that win!!!

Originally Posted by ghostPastry

oo i have to try that! i've been putting cilantro and parsley in glass tupperwares with a little water and it's been keeping them so long it's amazing. i feel like i have a bunch of mason jars somewhere but they're never findable when i try to use them



that's cool though! it does feel like you're part of a very futuristic science experiment and my mouth always feels so pristine afterwards, i can't believe i spent the whole first two years of the pandemic without going at all

thank you for the pat! i feel even more motivated now

Ohhh my gosh! I've been wanting to buy these herb savers on Amazon for a while now! The concept is the same, apparently really keeps your herbs forever! Granted in the summer I just grow them and chop chop when needed LOL

Haha time for some mason jar/tupperware storage solutions it sounds like!

You didn't go to the dentist for the first two years of the pandemic?! I would have cried. Were they just not open? Oh my gosh!

LOL Any time!

@ Ghosty: Aw, thanks for the extra bit of luck!

OMG. So. Much. Spinach. There is absolutely no way to eat up the container before it turns to mush. Anyone who does deserves a gold star in my book!

Oh, I’ve never tried cooking beets! One of the odder things I’ve found that I really like is acorn squash cut into wedges and roasted with olive oil, salt, and pepper. OMG it’s so good!

Ahaha, excited to never use those sounds very accurate. I’ve never used an insta pot so I definitely can’t help you there I’m afraid…

I can highly recommend the fried tofu, it’s amazing! I really need to make it more often because it really is so easy.

I’m not going to lie, those cut fruits also go bad in my fridge so there is that. It sounds a little stupid but if my BF gets out fruit to eat himself and then actually FEEDS it to me, that’s the easiest way for me to eat fruit. He’ll get out a fork and give me little bites every now and then. My teeth are way too sensitive to eat the frozen fruit without defrosting it which is again problematic as you said but at least I feel less guilty knowing it won’t really go bad in the freezer. After we started talking about this I’ve meant to take out some mango pieces to thaw a bunch of times but still haven’t gotten around to it yet.

Ooh, I haven’t tried the beef bulgogi though we were looking at it the last time we went to TJs! I’ll have to put that and the pad thai on my list. I do love me some pad thai!

Go get that second breakfast!!! *pushes you towards the kitchen* Oatmeal is also a really good choice. I just get the packets that have you fill to a certain line and pour it in the bowl. I think it’s not really an exact science though because one that I read said to put anywhere from ½ cup of milk or water to like 1 cup…

I’ll admit I haven’t cleaned my water flosser. Is this actually something that you need to do? I literally just put water in the container and then use it. I do know that I need to get a new tip though. Another one of those oops it’s on my to do list to do eventually someday maybe…

---------- Post added 01-10-2023 at 03:14 PM ----------

@ Randee: You know I can see how taking the cupboard doors off would honestly help. It removes major barriers. You can automatically see where all of your things are and be reminded of what food/plates/whatever is available and just grab what you need. And then when you want to put things away it’s the same thing, you don’t have to open the doors and can just slip it in. That would personally drive me crazy though because I need minimized clutter. Seeing too many things around really stresses me out so I’d rather have it neatly tucked away and looking nice.

You’ll have to let me know how you like it! Apparently there are a bunch of those “gamification” kind of apps these days. I was looking at productivity ones last night and they have ones that help you focus by making it so that if you close that app, your plant/avocado/cat/whatever dies.

Originally Posted by R a n d e h

[color=#FF69B4]Ohhh my gosh! I've been wanting to buy these herb savers on Amazon for a while now! The concept is the same, apparently really keeps your herbs forever! Granted in the summer I just grow them and chop chop when needed LOL

Haha time for some mason jar/tupperware storage solutions it sounds like!

we end up growing so many more herbs than we need during the summer, so we always have a ton sitting wilting in our fridge. it's so cool you grow your own too!

maybe i need a giant mason jar to put my mason jars in

Originally Posted by R a n d e h

You didn't go to the dentist for the first two years of the pandemic?! I would have cried. Were they just not open? Oh my gosh!

LOL Any time!

well, my partner's mother is immunocompromised, so we've just been being extra careful to not get sick because we need to be able to visit her a lot, so we didn't want to go anywhere we'd have to have our masks off and someone less than 6ft away from us, so the dentist was a bigger risk, at least in 2020.

and then in 2021, we were just struggling to find a good practice we could trust nearby us, and last year my partner just randomly met our dentist in line at the post office, and he's a really sweet, funny guy. he's honestly probably my favorite dentist i've had, even if his chairs are particularly uncomfortable and he's really good at what he does-- he even has a clipping on the wall from when he was in the paper for being on the cutting edge of dental practices, it's so cute. you can just tell he cares about what he does. so i'm less scared going to see him.

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

OMG. So. Much. Spinach. There is absolutely no way to eat up the container before it turns to mush. Anyone who does deserves a gold star in my book!

you'll be giving my partner several!! he really is a little spinach freak, he eats huge bowls of it, like half the brick at a time he buys like 3 bricks at once, i don't know how he does it.

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

Oh, I’ve never tried cooking beets! One of the odder things I’ve found that I really like is acorn squash cut into wedges and roasted with olive oil, salt, and pepper. OMG it’s so good!

i love acorn squash!! spaghetti squash too. i need to learn how to make them myself, i've only had them made by other people. i love them with brown sugar

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

I’m not going to lie, those cut fruits also go bad in my fridge so there is that. It sounds a little stupid but if my BF gets out fruit to eat himself and then actually FEEDS it to me, that’s the easiest way for me to eat fruit. He’ll get out a fork and give me little bites every now and then.

that is so cute my partner also inspires me to eat, i always want to have some of what he's having now i wanna make him feed it to me and be as disgustingly cute as y'all

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

My teeth are way too sensitive to eat the frozen fruit without defrosting it which is again problematic as you said but at least I feel less guilty knowing it won’t really go bad in the freezer. After we started talking about this I’ve meant to take out some mango pieces to thaw a bunch of times but still haven’t gotten around to it yet.

look at us reminding each other to prep our food mango is really good, i need to get some again to put in spring rolls. we haven't done those in a while, but they're so quick and easy and healthy once you get all the ingredients gathered and cut. we usually eat them as we make them because the rice paper is a little sticky once you get it wet.

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

Ooh, I haven’t tried the beef bulgogi though we were looking at it the last time we went to TJs! I’ll have to put that and the pad thai on my list. I do love me some pad thai!

dooooo itttttt, you won't regret it, the beef bulgogi really tastes like something you'd get at a food truck. if you like pad thai, i think you'll like the TJ's pad thai, it's pretty quintessential.

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

Oatmeal is also a really good choice. I just get the packets that have you fill to a certain line and pour it in the bowl. I think it’s not really an exact science though because one that I read said to put anywhere from ½ cup of milk or water to like 1 cup…

oh yeah i used to really like those portable oatmeal cups that have nuts and dried fruits and stuff in them that had a fill line like a ramen cup. maybe i'll try those again, it's overpriced but if i'm only having them every now and again it would be worth it. the packets are good too, but i have a bad habit of eating the sugary ones raw i mean i'm sure it's fine, you can have it raw in yogurt or bars but... like, it's not classy

probably better to have less water than more, i don't want floating oatmeal and i'm fine with a brick of oats. i'll try with 1/2 cup first, because google is telling me the same thing.

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

I’ll admit I haven’t cleaned my water flosser. Is this actually something that you need to do? I literally just put water in the container and then use it. I do know that I need to get a new tip though. Another one of those oops it’s on my to do list to do eventually someday maybe…

i don't think i've ever put a new tip on mine i have an extra somewhere, but i thought it was just for backup if something terrible happened to the first one and i think you have to clean the water reservoir or it gets mildewy and a little dusty, like when you leave a water cup sitting out. mine really looks gross since it's been sitting in the cabinet so even if it doesn't usually have to be washed it definitely does now

Originally Posted by zigbigadorlube

Go get that second breakfast!!! *pushes you towards the kitchen*

*is push* *shuffles off*

@ Ghosty: THREE WHOLE SPINACH BRICKS??? He’s a monster.

I’ve never had squash with brown sugar but sugar on anything is likely to make it tasty, haha!

Aww, I bet y’all are stinking adorable! I can’t wait for it to be persimmon season.

Alright, I’m seriously going to go take that freaking mango out already!

*adds to cart*

Maybe I’ll try to have oatmeal for breakfast tomorrow! Ours is on the top shelf of our pantry so I kind of forgot that it’s there…

Ooh, I was going to say, my water flosser always LOOKS clean so I guess it’s fairly clean. It probably wouldn’t hurt to actually wipe it out every once in a while though.