Playing Catch Up, an Apology, and Foodie Penpal Reveal!

Wow. I have been a terrible blogger. Words cannot describe how emotionally, mentally, and physically drained I have been over the past month. I am here to play a quick catch up...

For those of you who don't know, on March 26th I went under the knife to remove an accessory navicular bone in my foot that was severely detached and to have my tendon screwed back onto my ankle bone. I also had a procedure done on my toe so I had a double whammy of recovery and pain. It has NOT been easy. At all. (Sorry in advance for the small pictures-they are all from my phone :(  )



Ready for surgery!

My mom wishing me luck!

Two bones to the right of my ankle/foot...You're only supposed to have one protruding...

Home after surgery... This was about 15 pounds of cotton and ace bandage alone. Yikes!

Not only has the pain been hard to manage, but I will JUST begin walking on my foot tomorrow. That's right. No running, no biking, no walking, no treadmill, no swimming, nothing. I can't even drive since my car is a 5-speed manual. Though I am anxious, nervous, and excited to enter this new phase of my recovery, it is not a speedy one at all. This is very frustrating, especially for someone who has a loving relationship with the gym.

I have been off of work since my surgery day and am not expected to return until the middle of June. Literally, I have had nothing to do for weeks! People say I am lucky and to enjoy it while I can...For the first two weeks, it was great. I was waited on by family and close friends since I felt like I was going to die and I caught up on much needed sleep and even was able to read a book or two, something I haven't done for leisure in a long time. Now, I am antsy and frustrated though. I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, but it's tough!

First day out after surgery. Felt so good to simply go to the movies!

Thanks to some girlfriends for putting together a goodie basket (actually bucket) for me :)

Stuck my dog in my knee scooter basket with my new handicap sticker!

WARNING! These next few pictures are from post-op appointments and may not be for those with weak stomachs!

Only one bump out of my foot/ankle!

10 days post-operation!

Taken today- 5 weeks post-operation...Still lots of swelling but incision looks beautiful!

With not being able to do anything or go anywhere, my mood has really been down in the dumps. That may be putting it lightly. I have been in a slump for about 2 1/2 weeks or so and am not really sure when I will emerge. One thing that has brought a smile to my face, however, is knowing I am still a part of the Foodie Penpal program thanks to Lindsay over at The Lean Green Bean.

Before I get to my reveal, let me say that I have a HUGE apology to send out. For the month of March, I typed up my penpal reveal, and apparently it never posted and has been sitting as a draft ever since. I apologize, sincerely and profoundly to Mallory from The Original Plastic California . Your package did not go unnoticed and I shall put you in the spotlight with this post as well.

For the month of March, Mallory must have been my best friend in a previous life. Her mind-reading skills were amazing and on point for this package. First of all, she sent me Nutella To Go, the delicious hazelnut, chocolate spread with cracker sticks for dipping... Um where has this been all my life?! I didn't even know they made these! Let's just say I couldn't even take a picture of me eating it because it was gone that fast! The next thing I noticed were the multiple snack/granola bars. Apparently Mallory sensed that I love to snack throughout the day and she was kind enough to send me healthy alternatives! (The Larabar Uber Apple Turnover one was my favorite!)

I started laughing as I dug my way deeper into the box because I was JUST mentioning to my mom that I wanted to make homemade pizza with sun-dried tomatoes, yet it was the only ingredient I did not have and thus could not bask in the glory that is homemade pizza. Low and behold, I pull out a bag of tasty Trader Joe's Sun Dried Tomatoes!

Mallory has great taste in treats and even got me hooked on the tomatoes, the dark chocolate bar, and Nutella to go...I went out and got some more for myself! Guilty! Thank you so much Mallory for your wonderful package for the month of March...I got to enjoy everything before my surgery and I loved each and every item!



As for the month of April, like I said, my package could not have come at a better time. I was really not feeling well and feeling pretty "blue" when a pretty white USPS box came from Brittney (@HerleanFitness). Woohoo! Instant smile on my face...the first one in a while :) Of course I do the best that I can trying to carry the package in with one hand yet maintain my crutches. I immediately rip the box open to a note with some of the neatest handwriting I have ever seen on top of, what else? Foodie Goodies!



I got mail! Yay!

First thing I saw...Justin's Natural Nut Butters... Maple Almond and Chocolate Hazelnut to be exact. Breakfast was served my friends! I love putting these spreads on whole wheat toast with banana slices on top for breakfast. Quick, easy and that's speaking highly given I could do it on one leg :) I used some of her Gluten Free Rice Thin crackers as bread crumbs for a homemade Mac & Cheese I made (healthy options, of course!). I still have a handful of them that will be gone soon, I am sure! She even sent me a little container of Mentos gum...she must LOVE me! I ran out of gum and threw this little baby right into my purse! Among other things, this foodie penpal was once again a success. Thank you, Brittney for putting a much needed smile on my face in a time of need!

Want to find out how you can join the club and become a Foodie Penpal yourself??

Here’s a detailed explanation of the program:

-On the 5th of the month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you can choose to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.
- Foodie Penpals is open to US, Canadian residents & UK residents. Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. So, I’m going to keep two separate lists and match US w/ US and Canada w/ Canada!
***If you’re in the UK, please contact Carol Anne from This Is Rock Salt at rocksalt@thisisrocksalt.com to get involved!

If you need any more information, check out Lindsay's awesome blog to find out more or contact her with any questions. :)




So thank you for allowing me to vent a little bit. I forgot how easy it is to just type feelings out and that blogging can actually make me feel better. I have wanted to write updated posts but didn't really know what to say. The Foodie Penpal Rveal may just be the jump start back to my old habits that I intend to keep...on my own two feet...




Until the next step bloggers...