Happy Friday! I hope you’ve had a wonderful week and have fun plans for this weekend! My week has been full of good things and I’m thinking my weekend looks that way, too. Lots of meeting new people and preparing for the craziness that is O-Week, and maybe some baking? But I’ll let the weekend unfold as it will. Let’s start it off on a good note by looking back at some of the best things from this week. Sound good? Okay!
So much parental help
I could just go with my parents in general, but that could really be a favorite any time.
So, let’s just talk about how ridiculously helpful they were this week. I mentioned yesterday that my mom is a packing goddess, and it’s true. Most of my “job” when packing was rounding up all my stuff and cleaning the house while she figured out what went where. Could I have done it on my own? Yes. I’m capable, but it was so nice and much less overwhelming to have her help. Plus, I’m sure she did a better job than I’d have done.
Also, my dad and I had to go to a meeting on move-in morning, so after he helped me unload the car and haul my boxes out of storage, my mom started organizing my room. In part, that speaks to the fact that she knows me well enough to know where I’d want things, but mostly it was just nice to have one less thing to worry about. I did plenty of my own organizing, but every last bit is helpful. Plenty of people move in on their own or by relying on a crowd of other college students and rental cars. I’m lucky have parents who can’t imagine not helping me move.
All of that is on top of their usual advice-giving and encouragement, driving me to Chicago, and feeding me really good food. Basically, I hit the parental jackpot.
An organized room
It’s so nice to no longer have a pile of stuff to pack or a tub full of snacks and canned goods. It’s enough to drive this type-A crazy. Now, everything has a home and it looks pretty. I’m happy.
My exercise ball
I’ve hated the desk chairs we’re supplied with since my first year. They are not remotely comfortable or supportive. My first year, my bed was in a corner that allowed me to sit there to study a lot, but my current room really isn’t set up like that. Last year, I did a lot of work while standing at my bed. This year, after seeing Liv’s dorm setup, I decided to get an exercise ball to sit on as a chair. I’m sure I’ll still use my bed as a standing desk, but I find the ball a much more comfortable alternative to the chair, so it’s nice to have the option to sit at my desk, too.
Also, bouncing is fun.
$1 erasers
I told you on my birthday that I have a (not so) stuffed bunny that I’ve loved since I was a baby. The part of this ball of string – which is basically what he is at this point – that makes it comforting to me are little nubs that I can rub between my fingers. If I need to focus, I swear my fingers itch if I can’t rub something back and forth between them. The bunny stays in my dorm because I am, after all, an adult. Still, it’s hard for me to focus without something to fidget with. My mom suggested finding a replacement I can actually carry around or use instead. The winner(s)? These little erasers from the dollar spot at Target. They’re small and have rough edges, so they’re perfect. I now have them at my desk and in my backpack, and I’m messing with one as I write this.
A healing stress fracture
I’m pretty hesitant to say this, but whatever. I had an appointment with a new orthopedist yesterday afternoon to touch base about my hip. After a long wait and an X-ray that apparently shows good healing progress, he basically told me everything is moving along and, while I should be careful, I can do any exercise that doesn’t cause me pain.
To be honest, that kind of terrifies me, since it was only two weeks ago I was told that it’d be 8 weeks before I should do anything. Obviously, I want to sweat again. You have no idea how badly. But I don’t want to do any damage. I’ll probably step it up a little a few times to test the waters and see how I feel, but mostly play it safe until I talk to my new physical therapist.
And now I’m realizing that sounded kind of like a downer, but it’s not! I’m healing, whether it’s as healed as it should be to resume regular activity or not. That’s a good thing.
That’s all for me this week! I hope you have a fabulous weekend and I’ll talk to you again next week!
From priceless parents to dollar doodads: what @EllenSlater is loving this week. #fitfluential #bgbcommunity Share on XDid you have a comfort object as a kid?
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Linking up with Heather
Dude, your dorm room is on point. Seriously.
Can I bring Ridley over and mess it up for you? 😀
Thank you!
YES OF COURSE. Always welcome 😀
I love all your organization! And that’s such a great idea to use a stability ball for a desk chairs. I’m always correcting my posture at my desk at work.
Thank you! Love my room! The ball definitely helps with my posture a lot – it’s nice to not have to think about it that much 🙂
I’ll have to post pictures of my room! O my goodness though, we had these terrible hard wooden ROCKING chairs for out desks….no…it would not have worked, so we went and bought a nice 20 dollar normal swivel chair at target when we got down here 😛
I wanna see it!
And I think we have those chairs, too. Not a fan.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend, Ellen! 🙂 I love your frame with all of the quotes in it–it’s adorable and motivating!
My comfort object when I was little was my Winnie the Pooh teddy bear. He doesn’t come with me to college, but last Christmas Eric and I donated to the zoo in each other’s names (instead of gifts) and they sent me a big plush tapir as a thank-you… so now I have Bob the Tapir to hug at school 😀
Thanks, Claire! It makes it a little homier 🙂
Awwww that’s so cute.
I basically strive to be your mom when I (or my kids – but that’s never happening, right? They’ll never grow up and go to school and lleeeeeaaavve meee..) grow up. #momgoals.
Awwww that’s so sweet. You seem like an amazing mom to me. They’ll never really leave you ❤️
Wow that is really good news about the stress fracture; I hope you are able to do some light exercise. Let us know how it progresses.
PARENTS are an amazing gift, so thankful for mine too after you shared that! 🙂
I did an easy 10 minutes on the elliptical and that felt fabulous. I hope it keeps feeling good!
They’re the best. So glad you’re blessed with good ones.
My dad was an absolute star when it came to moving in and out of university (which we had to do at the start and end of very term…) I did the bagging and boxing, then somehow the mountain of ‘stuff’ in the hallway of our house was fitted perfectly into the back of his car. He always dropped me off and helped me with the main bits of room setup (ie. completely rearranging the furniture!) then we would usually sneak out for coffee whilst we had a free parking allowance in the city centre for ‘loading and unloading purposes only’.
Hope O-week goes well and so glad that you got some positive news on your hip 🙂
It sounds like your dad was super helpful! He deserved that coffee 😉
Thanks, Charlie!
Totally eyeing up your snack and drink stash under the bed lol! Your room is too cute! Its always to helpful to have your parents assist with the move in and packing.
Haha gotta have good snacks! Thanks, Kerri!
I’ve heard such good things about exercise balls! I’m afraid they’ll hurt my back? What do you think? 🙂
Hm. Definitely not a doctor but I find that it makes me engage my core and sit up straighter so it probably helps my back in the long run!
You really did hit the parental jackpot! How awesome are your Mom and Dad?!??!! And yay for being settled in!
Thanks, Kristy!