Compared to July, August was a much better month. If I were to pick a theme, it’d probably be healthy mind and body. I wanted to focus on maintaining healthy habits, and as you can see from my previous entry, I also wanted to revive a neglected hobby that I used to love. Some things I feel good about:
- I exercised almost every day in August, mainly short runs (35-45 min) or long walks (45-70 min). I only missed one day due to a long dinner!
- I ate better. I changed my breakfast, cooked lunches for work, and got in the habit of picking healthier options when eating out.
- I lost weight in a maintainable way, without feeling like I was starving or depriving myself of things I like.
- I finished one Prismacolor drawing and four watercolor paintings. I have another painting in-progress!
Overall, I’ve just been feeling good. The exercise and diet changes make me feel better about my body, and working on art leaves me feeling relaxed and happy.
As for other things in August, I think everyone knows about the solar eclipse. My area could only see a partial eclipse (about 65%), but I liked how everyone got into it! I actually had no meetings that day because my coworkers canceled or moved their meetings. When the max part of the eclipse was about to happen, so many people came up the top floor of the parking garage to check it out.
I wish I had a longer zoom lens and a stronger ND filter, but with my 10-stop filter and 24-105mm lens, I was able to grab some photos. I also remotely controlled my camera with my iPad, so I wouldn’t have to look up. This one is probably my favorite of the batch!
The other major thing was Hurricane Harvey. We experienced a lot of rain and power outages where I live, but the damage was very minor and we weren’t flooded. It was nowhere near as bad as what Houston and the other east Texas cities got. If you’re able to help, I suggest doing some research on places to donate. I know the Red Cross is always a popular one when disasters happen, but there are so many better charities out there that actually help more and put the money and supplies to better use. The Texas Tribune has a pretty good list, DirectRelief has a perfect score on Charity Navigator, and donating to food banks and shelters that are local to the affected areas really helps.
As for how I did with my August goals…
- Lose 5 lbs – Close! I lost 4 lbs, which I’m happy with. I had a slow start where my weight kept going up and down for a couple weeks, but I eventually found my groove.
- Fix my stand mixer – I didn’t get around to this, and I’m disappointed in myself on that. I want to use my stand mixer again!
- Break down most of the boxes sitting in our closets – Success! I still have more to do, but I’ve broken down a large chunk of them.
- Buy new furniture – The weekend we planned to do this was when Hurricane Harvey came in, so we had to postpone. We will try again in September!
Now for my September goals…
- Bake again – I’ve barely done any this year due to my stand mixer being broken, and my coworkers keep commenting that they miss my baking. I want to get back into this hobby, and of course, this also means fixing my stand mixer.
- Repair and fine tune cosplays – It’s been a few months since I last worked on cosplay, and I need to repair my Tashigi cosplay (the boot covers came apart and the wig needs re-styling). There’s also a couple cosplays I want to revisit now that I’m better at making props. For example, making better long fall blades for Chell and a better bracelet for Phi. My goal is to work on at least one of those.
- Donate stuff – I’ve been working on another pile of clothing and other items to donate, but it’s just sitting there. I should… you know… donate it.
Hopefully I can get to all of those because I’m going to be busy in September! I’m doing photoshoots at a nearby Anime convention, and then I’ll be visiting Seattle for a wedding. I hope everyone had a good August, and let’s hope September will be a good one too!
It has brought me so much happiness seeing other bloggers talk about feeling healthy and happy with body and mind recently. I’ve seen quite a few after blog hopping and it just warms my heart! Like YES prioritize your health. YES. ?
Well done on losing weight and just overall improving your health for yourself, it’s such an achievement! Great job, Cat! Exercising for most of the month is such a task, I remember a year ago when it just seemed impossible but once it became a habit and when I felt the benefits, it gets easier!
That’s awesome that you got to see the solar eclipse, it looks incredible. Matt’s family got some great photos (they live in CT) and I was super jealous! Such a beautiful world we live in! ^_^
Good luck with your September goals! I have loads of things to declutter this month, I just need to get in gear and do it!
That’s good you were able to maintain a healthier lifestyle in August 😀 Returning back to your neglected hobbies also is a good thing. I always thought having too much hobbies can be a bit cumbersome, but now I think it diversify things. Yay for all the healthy habits. It’s good to lose weight properly instead of resorting to starvation or something 😀
That solar eclipse photo is really nice. I like how it turned out. I am relieved to hear that you didn’t suffer that much chaos with Harvey. I hope you will do a lot more baking! I like seeing what you make, especially your beautifully designed cakes!
Enjoy your time at the wedding and the convention! Your photoshoots are always a joy to see. Have a great September <3
Glad to hear that you enjoyed August more than July. Progress is everything! Good that you’ve been finding ways for better self care. Healthier food goes a long way!
It’s so cool that you got your gear set up to take some legit pictures of the solar eclipse! Even though it was partial on your end, you still got something good going on. Hey, the next one pretty much goes over Texas so you better be blogging in a few years so I can see that total eclipse ;).
I hope you and everyone else in Texas are staying safe from the aftermath of Harvey. I am not really a fan of donating to the Red Cross because there are executives who pocket a lot of that money…
Losing some weight is great! Keep up with the great work! Good luck with your goals for September :). Totally looking forward to seeing your next cosplay magic ;).
I am so happy to hear that it has been a better month and there have been positive things. Taking the time to focus on your health sounds like it has been gratifying. 😀
The photo looks great. It’s annoying when things are far away, especially space/nature because you always want to get closer. That is cool that you can control your camera with your iPad! 😀
Good to hear you were not affected by the hurricane. My best friend lives in Texas, but wasn’t in a dangerous area (thankfully)!
Hope you have a fantastic September!
Baking again is going to ruin your diet! lol XD That is great how you are feeling better with the small bit of exercise every day and eating healthier though. I really need to get my butt in gear and do the same. If I ever get my raise at work then maybe I can put the money into the better food again. We shall see…
I’m glad August was a better month for you ♥
Congrats on the weight loss and feeling healthier! 😀 Good on you for exercising every day. I’m still making excuses about why I don’t have time to, haha…
That picture of the eclipse is so pretty. I got to see a full eclipse, but didn’t get any good pictures with my phone camera. The experience alone was pretty cool though, so I can’t complain.
I’m glad to hear your August was good and that you weren’t that affected by Harvey <3
Yay for healthy habits! That’s great that you’ve had such a productive month. Also yay for drawing! I would also be totally down for another art trade. I like your idea of doing a color themed one!
I like your picture of the solar eclipse. I also thought it was cool everyone was getting into it, although tbh I couldn’t really see the hype LOL It was cool seeing everyone’s different pictures of the event though!
That’s also good that you only got minor damage in your area. I saw a couple of pictures and videos of the disaster and the damage, both physically and mentally, looks horrible :/ I’ve also been seeing a lot of wildfire and other flood news from other parts of the world right now.
Good luck on your September goals!
I’m glad you are okay! We got a lot of rain here in the DFW area 😀 I lost 5 lbs too! I’ve been eating less and exercising more! It really does help!
That’s why I sent an email when I realized you were close to Harvey and I’m glad despite some mishaps, you’re okay.
I’m glad you’re alright from Harvey! I know Texas is HUGE but I wasn’t sure where you lived. A number of my friends have families in Houston and they were heartbroken because their childhood homes were destroyed. 🙁
I missed the eclipse – because it was so foggy in San Francisco and it would take me an hour to reach anywhere sunny. I’ve seen an eclipse when I was younger so I didn’t feel like going, hehe. It looked amazing though! My friends posted photos of crescent shaped shadows on the ground. I love your photo of it! I know that’s not what the eye sees, but it’s amazing to think about how that’s the sun! I hope I get to see the total eclipse someday and experience absolute darkness.
Congrats on your healthier routine and going back to an awesome hobby! 🙂 Hope your September will be a lovely month and enjoy Seattle!
I’m so glad to hear you weren’t too badly affected by Harvey. It was so saddening to see the footage on the news – I’ll be sure to donate to one of the places you have linked. I’ve heard far too many bad things about the Red Cross.
I’m glad August was such a good month for you health-wise. It sounds like you’ve approached your health from a more sustainable viewpoint – I think I’ll have to follow your example! Having more time to focus on your art must be so good for you mentally – I think you’re a fantastic artist!
Good luck with your September goals – you were so successful with your August goals, I’m sure you’ll achieve them!
So glad you had a great month health-wise. It’s great that you’re changing your diet in manageable way. I’m sure that’ll work out a lot better in the long run. I’m trying again with healthy eating this month and your post has definitely inspired me.
Glad to hear you weren’t affected too much by the hurricane. That must be absolutely awful to go through, especially as it’s something no one can really control. It’s so sad to hear about all those who have suffered because of it.
Good luck with your goals for next month. I’m sure you’ll do great!