May 2021

 

Mayday Mayday! My motivation is under attack. Food and fasting are falling/failing this month, a slight hit on fitness too. Numbers on the scale hit a low, but then also bounced back up. 

The month started at 155.4, ended at 162.26 ... oops! Up over six pounds! That ending number was the high for the month. The low was mid-May, 153.28. I was able to keep my weekly averages all in the 150s, but just barely. Average for the month was 157, which is up a tiny bit from last month.

Intake vs Burn ... the goal is to keep the blue line under the orange line, to keep calories burned over calories consumed (understanding that both are just estimates, Fitbit data and MFP manual entry). Started off the month with a couple high eating days, and only stayed under 2000 for ten days. Generally the fasting hours have helped keep calories in check, but as mentioned, the fasting was under fire as well. There were several days where there were late meals and family activities. And there was SO MUCH FOOD. I've been going a little crazy baking sourdough bread ... and eating sourdough bread. I tried turning the dough into pizza crust, with wonderful results. Used my sourdough for pancakes and waffles and donuts! We went out to dinner as a family (Mother's Day) and had a big Memorial Day BBQ. Graduation and birthday for my DIL, with a chocolate fountain and wacky cake. I made "Swig" cookies, and Hubs tried out a new popcorn. It was a month full of family, fun and FOOD. 

So, MAYDAY ... May has been the hardest month in a while! Ironically, I had one of those Facebook Flashbacks, showing me May of 2019. I had tried Noom, and was starting IMF two years ago, and lost a little, May/June/July being pretty good months (hit 164.3 which was my lowest in a bit). August/September is usually when school schedules help me focus even more, but Fall of 2019 is where things went downhill... when I gave up on the fasting, gave up on tracking food, let up on the exercise. Put on the pounds, and that was before Covid hit.

Anyway ... back to present day. I actually had MORE Zumba classes in a month than I have in a while, as I went to Friday classes with MZL. Still not a full class, just instructors doing a live stream for people to watch at home if they want. I did some Zumba practice at home. I was on the elliptical 21 days this month, treadmill time 16 days. A half hour of ping pong 13 days. Several lawn mowing sessions, and four weight workouts. Four 30k+ days. Over 10k every day. 

What I Watched While Working Out ...

Ah streaming services ... I think we'll likely always have Netflix and Amazon. The others we'll just take turns with as they offer deals or shows we really want to see. I was offered one month of Hulu for free, so I took advantage of that. Watched some movies and a couple series. We still have complimentary AppleTV, so when Hulu expired, I switched to a series there. ET and Dead Poet's Society were ones #4 was watching in his Film Studies class, so I re-watched them as well (had to rent DPS, it wasn't streaming anywhere). Without Remorse was a new release on Amazon that Hubs and I watched together.

My books for the month ...

... and a peek at family life!

April 2021

 

Weight average for April was 156.3, which was down 5.2 from last month. The month started at 156.2, the high was 159.7, the low was 153.72 and it ended at 155.73. Happy to be in the 150s for the full month. The goal is to be under 150, so I'll keep working toward that. The weekends are a challenge, and that is really reflected in the weight graph for the month! Up and down, peaks and valleys!

 

I created a graph to show my calories in vs calories out ...

Need to work on the eating, especially on the lower exercise days.

My lines crossed twice during the month.

From the StrideKick app, I get a good graph & stats from Steps & Minutes. There is generally a pretty strong correlation between steps and minutes, but it doesn't always line up perfectly (on one day I beat #4 in steps, but he beat me in minutes). My step average was up a tiny bit from last month, although the total steps were down (March had an extra day over April). My minutes were down a bit in both average and total.

 

My sleep graph ala Apple Health  (imported data, previously it was from my Oura, but I switched to my Fitbit using the "Sync Solver" app). Last month I got a little extra sleeping in with Spring Break for #5, but it was back to the routine. I can stay in bed a bit longer on Fri, Sat, Sun and I often do. 

My fasting was on track for April, I only missed goal one day. I had some longer fasts, although I was a little under my total hours for last month. 

For Fitness, there were nine Zumba classes. We missed one Wednesday Zumba class as the church was being cleaned. I got in a Thursday class, as #5's school has testing which pushed his pickup back, so I that I had a little extra time. I also hit MZL for Friday, and I'm planning on continuing that. I did some Zumba practice as well.  Elliptical 27 days, treadmill 22 days. Four times on the bike, and six weight sessions. Plenty of ping pong, back to mowing the lawn, a little wii fit.

 

What I Was Watching ... still a few Disney shows, then HBO - movies and WestWorld. I'd watched seasons 1&2, but it had been a while. I watched Season 1 again, then just watched a recap of Season 2, before starting Season 3. 

 

 

 

 

Here's a peek at pictures featuring the family activities ...

 

 

 

March 2021

 

Weight average for March was 161.5 which is down 7.6 from February. The high for March was 167.24 on day one, and the low was 157.29 on the last day. I was pretty happy to move into the 150s. It's been a while! Here's the weight graph from Fitbit. Ups and downs but down overall ...

 

Fitbit USED to have an Intake vs Burn graph.

Then they discontinued it ... but I made my own in Excel.

So, the goal would be to keep intake under burn ... SO close this month! Saturday, March 27, Hubs and I indulged in some late-night popcorn while watching a show. So I blew my calorie budget and didn't get in a full fast the next day with such a late start.

Last month I discovered the StrideKick app, which has been letting me see where my boys are, even though two of them have Apple Watches. While two of my boys are still on Fitbit, StrideKick offers a different look than the Fitbit friends list. I can see daily totals of steps and minutes. Beyond that, I really like the graphs it offers. The total steps/minutes are from the StrideKick app. I've added "sleep" (from AppleHealth, my Oura Ring providing that data, as AppleHealth doesn't sync with Fitbit) and then my fasting hours from the Zero app. I like data and graphs ... can you tell?

The Step/Minutes graph show that Mon/Wed are my best days (my Zumba days). Weekdays are better than weekends. With these new graphs, it will be interesting to track the average/total steps/minutes from month to month. 

• Fitness: Got in Zumba every Mon/Wed ... 10 classes for the month, and plenty of practice on my own too.  Elliptical every day, lots of treadmill time, and plenty of ping pong. I hit the bike twice and had six weight sessions. Four 30k days, all days over 10k. 
• Food and Fasting: Good month, just missed goal one day. Highest number of fasting hours for a month since I started. I'd love to keep calories under 2000 every day. While that didn't happen, the average was under, so I'll take it. 
• Sleep: I've been tracking sleep forever, but not including it on a monthly report. It tracks with Fitbit, Oura and my SleepCycle app, but I didn't find a good graph until I was looking at AppleHealth (Oura data). It was Spring Break there at the end of the month ... yea for some sleeping in not just on weekends.
• What I Was Watching: I included my movies/shows there on the side of my graph. We were finishing up our Disney+ subscription, so I was trying to watch what I wanted there as it was ending. I hadn't planned on watching WandaVision, but there was so much buzz, I gave it a try. #4 was pretty interested (he watched it while on the treadmill too). I also watched the series "The Right Stuff" ... shortly after watching the "Hidden Figures" movie (very similar topic, John Glen in both). Got on a "sports" kick, with Remember the Titans, Miracle, Glory Road, Invincible, Eddie the Eagle, Bend it Like Beckham, Iron Will. Sports shows are almost always action packed and inspiring. A few other Disney movies ... and then following along with my son's Film Studies class: Some Like it Hot, High Noon, The Maltese Falcon, Sicko.

... and BOOKS ...

As far as FAMILY ... there was LOTS of basketball with #5. He plays for two teams, and in multiple tournament. One Saturday he had SIX games (he could "only" make five of them as two were playing at the same time). Both of his teams took the championship though. #5 also when on the road to Vegas for a tournament there. Hubs and I got our first vaccination, and #2 and his wife got J&J (so they are done). #3 stepped on a nail, so a tetanus shot took precedence for him and will push back a Covid vaccine (if we can find one). Hubs got a big new BBQ/smoker (KomodoJoe). I did a little baking ... banana bread and chocolate chip cookies (my baking has been few and far between with my IMF. My eating windows are so small, and I have to schedule the baking during my window, because I know I'll snitch!)
 

Up next ... April!

February 2021

 

I wasn't really even aware that my Fitbit Aria took the weight measurements further than one decimal ... but I guess they do. I don't see it on the scale, but when I download my numbers from Fitbit each month, there they are. While the start/finish weights are separated by just under four pounds, the weight average for the month is 7.8 pounds less than last month. I am pleased with how it's been going!

We missed one Wednesday Zumba ... bad snowstorm. I upped my practice at home. I hit the home gym every day with either elliptical or treadmill, and often both. Weight workouts once a week. Plenty of ping pong. One 30k day. Every day over 10k. 

I hit my fasting goal every day but one, and exceeded my 16 hours most days. The fasting has been pretty easy to keep up. My eating window is a few hours during the middle of the day. I usually end the eating early (about 3:30) and then see how long I can go the next day. I'm not sure if the fasting is doing anything physically, or if the limited eating window is just helping me control my calories. 

Keeping me entertained and motivated were movies and TV series. We have HBO Max for six months. I watched some series (His Dark Materials S1, The Head, The Undoing, True Detective S3) and some movies (The Little Things, Don't Let Go, Patriot's Day, 1917, Emma, Enemy at the Gates, Palmer, Argo). Hubs and I watched the first season of "Peaky Blinders" upstairs.  #4 (my ping pong partner) has been keeping up his activity too, hitting the treadmill once or twice a day, and most days Hubs has been hitting the treadmill at his office before work.

A bunch of books, as always ...

... and Family Stuff

Lots of basketball, a birthday (#2 turned 22), big snow and dirty snow (backed up the carwashes for days!). Girl scout cookies and games with grandparents, as they'd received their Covid vaccine and felt it was safe to visit. Rearranged the basement, more room for ping pong!

 

January 2021

 I'm really behind on blogging ...

So keeping track of stats ... I like numbers and data. Started the month at 178.2. ended at 171.96. High 181.44. Low was the last day of the month ... down a little over six pounds. While I weigh-in every day, I also like to watch the weekly average, and monthly average (176.9). 

As far as eating - I kept my calorie count average around 1800. Some higher days, some lower days.  Out of the month's 31 days, I met my fasting goal (at least 16 hours) 26 of those days. Charts below show weight, steps and fasting hours.

Only six Zumba classes ... we had to take a week off. I did a little Zumba on my own at home. 27 days on the elliptical,  treadmill time 23 days, and four sessions with weights. My #4 and I get ping pong in many days during the month. Not really "exercise" per se, but I like to track it. I got a 30k day. Only two days under 10k ... I was wishing I'd made more of an effort, to see if I could get 10k every day this year, but then I missed it on day one! I hadn't really thought about setting that as a goal (even with New Years resolutions on the mind).

What I was Watching While Working Out? Lots of movies this month ... we'd resubscribed to Disney+ (Hub's and I figured we'd watch The Mandelorian now that the season was complete) so I browsed movies there that caught my interest. Then some from Netflix and Amazon that I'd had on my list. I'd heard a bunch of buzz about Bridgerton, so I watched that series.

... and books! Lots of listening and reading!

 

... and family stuff.

2020 - Looking Back at the Year

Weight - Started at 187.7, ended at 177.9. High 202. Low 175.5.

2020 was quite the year. Mid-March, Covid was affecting everyone. Luckily, our family jobs weren't impacted (Hubs and the older boys). #4 had moved to online school the year before, and #5 is uber adaptable and was fine when his school moved online for the end of his 8th-grade year. 

Even before Covid complications, I had slipped in my eating and exercise. The end of 2019 had been hard (anxiety issues for #4, a death in the family, broken bones and a car crash). I slipped a little in my fitness and food tracking, and it showed on the scale. I came into the year higher than I'd ever been. But it didn't stop there. Covid canceled my Zumba classes, took away my motivation for counting calories or keeping track of my workouts (which impacted doing those workouts). There was some seeking of comfort foods, and sleeping in, as I didn't have to get boys to school or off to Zumba class.

When I hit 200, that was a bit of an eye-opener. I'd always (other than pregnancy) stopped at about 185 before. Tracking my sleep ... and some snoring, I finally decided to crack down on the eating and exercise. Mid-October I went back to counting calories with MFP, and limiting when I ate. I'd tried IMF (Intermittent Fasting) back mid-2019 with some success (low of 164 at the end of June), but then as mentioned, 2019 hit hard times and my motivation fled. I had just planned on resuming 16:8, as I had done last year, but I found myself doing 18:6, and even doing some 20+ fasts. I'd stop eating in the afternoon (around 3:00-5:00) and then wait to eat until 11:00 or later the next day. I'm not really a breakfast person anyway. 

As far as exercise, although I had slowed, I never stopped. I'm super spoiled with a complete home gym in the basement. Although the cancellation of Zumba affected me, the closing of the gyms didn't. I still had my treadmill, elliptical, stationary bike and full set of weights. I remember posting a picture of my weight set (I was repositioning things, which was a workout itself!) and got so many comments of "where did you get all those dumbbells!?!" as apparently in a Covid world, there was a huge shortage of home workout equipment. As the year went on, my elliptical broke (just as I was upping my exercise) but was able to be repaired. My Motiv ring stopped working. I replaced it with the Oura, and am trying out Amazon's new Halo tracker ... although Fitbit is still my main source for feedback.

When the weather warmed up, I reached out to a few ladies about resuming Zumba outside. Zumba is completely non-contact, very easy to social distance. So we did that. Tuesdays and Fridays in the church parking lot for Spring and Summer. Some days were hot. Some days it rained. Eventually, restrictions relaxed a bit, and we moved back into the church building. In the Fall, when the numbers started increasing again, the church limited building use to only the most essential meetings. Anything athletic was not allowed. In my building anyway. One of the other ladies had leadership that was being a bit more lenient, so we moved to Mon/Wed at that building. These ended up being MY classes. I was the instructor, but I did have a couple of helpers to add variety and energy. 

As far as family ... no one in our immediate family caught Covid, lost their job (#3's Nike store did close for a while, so he went back to work as an electrician with #2. #4 even got his first job) or was too adversely affected by everything. 

#3 finally got a new car, Hubs got a new truck. #1 got a work truck and he and his wife bought a house (early in the year, pre-pandemic). #2 broke his foot AGAIN, bought a house, and got married. Pandemic wedding! There were still trips to the lake, and Hubs had a few get-aways. Basketball was reduced, but not gone. No ducks this year, but the doggy next door had puppies, and that was a lot of fun. Some major renovations in the house (things switched up as #2 moved out). I actually went to TWO movies at the theater at the start of the year (I hadn't been in a long time! Ironic as then all the movie theaters had to shut down). Home haircuts, lots of family board/card games, pickleball and ping pong ... oh, and the earthquake. Can't forget about that! It was definitely a year to remember!

Books in 2020

 

I think everyone will say that 2020 was an unexpected and odd year. Definitely not normal! When Covid started to shut down everything, I wasn't sure how that would impact my reading. I was already a digital girl, so the libraries closing their doors didn't impact me as much as those who still checked out books physically. On one hand, I had MORE time to read, but on the other hand, I wasn't doing many of the things (driving, games, practices, shopping) that were my multi-tasking/audiobook times. Overall, I think it was a wash, and while I didn't get in quite as many books as last year, I still got a lot.

GoodReads provides an annual recap.
192 books. 63,935 Pages (1007 Longest, 332 Average) 3.6 Rating Average.

 

I would create a monthly recap - a picture collage with the covers, and stats ... if I read the Kindle copy or listened to the audiobook (if it was KindleUnlimited, I had both options and would often switch between the two, although marking those as "audio" still). Where I got the book ... from the library, from KU, if it was a copy given to me for review. I bought a few (a very few!) With SO many books out there, I haven't been much of a re-reader these last years. I switched that up this year, and started listening to some old favorites I'd read previously. I also decided not to feel bad about not finishing a book if I wasn't enjoying it.

All the books were reviewed and rated on GoodReads. 25 five star reads this year. Four stars seems to be my most common rating, with quite a few three stars. I didn't rate any books with one star (I left some unrated, those would be DNFs that I hadn't read enough of to feel I could really give a rating) and had several two star ("it was okay") reads.

Some of the numbers don't line up perfectly. GoodReads book count at 192 doesn't match my monthly books added up. There were a few that I ended up adding to GoodReads after I'd done my monthly update, and as mentioned, some of the books marked "audio" I did "read" for portions as well. Those collages can be found on my monthly reports throughout the year.

I had a KindleUnlimited subscription at the start of the year, and they offered me an inexpensive extension, so I did that. I never paid full price, and while I use KU a ton when I have it, I don't feel bad when I don't. I still have PLENTY of books waiting for me. I actually purchased more books (mostly audio) but they don't make it only my excel chart until I actually read/listen. Then there is the library. When I don't have KU, the library is my main resource. Amazon had a KU deal (6 months for $30 ... which is actually more than I'd paid to date) I went ahead and subscribed again. Many of my audio  review copies had Kindle available in KU, and I often liked having the text available. When I'd check out an audiobook from the library, I'd often put the Kindle copy on hold too, although the timing wouldn't always work out. Not all my resources are represented - my mom had a DeseretBook subscription, so I listened to some audiobooks from there. Audible had an "AudioEscape" trial (a program which they have now discontinued) and I listened to a bunch while I had that access.

I track these things on different GoodReads shelves, as well as the categorizing the book by type (fantasy, dystopian, historical, etc). I LOVE GoodReads. It helps keep me organized, and I am a numbers nerd. 

Bring on the books for 2021! But here's a scroll through last year ...

Christmas Movies 2020

Last year, I finally caved and watched some "Christmas Movies" ... I don't have Hallmark or Lifetime, but between Netflix and Amazon, I found enough to keep me entertained while I worked out. This December (well, starting the day after Thanksgiving) I decided to do the whole "Christmas Movie" again. Xfinity had their "free streaming" week where I had access to most of the cable channels (Lifetime, Hallmark, Up) and I did a free 7-day Amazon trial of Hallmark ... but Amazon had quite a few movies available on Prime. I glanced at what Netflix had to offer, but I'd watched many of their main ones last year. I made a list, looked up ratings on IMDB (just to try and get the best available, ratings may have changed since I wrote them down) and started watching. There are some spoilers in my reviews ...

• Dashing Home For Christmas: (2020 IMDB 6.7) This was pretty cute. Formulaic, although that's pretty expected for these Christmas shows (boy meets girl, issues, then love). The male lead was a little dorky, but definitely grew on you (and her). I was a little frustrated that he was so upset by her job there at the end. It's a job. There were a couple really obvious "green screen" moments, and the main girl could NOT sing! This was on "UpTV" (Xfinity) and it still had commercials. Uggg, I hate commercials! I could fast forward through them, but I'll try to avoid any that have ads for future watching ... even if I have to pay!
• A Welcome Home Christmas (2020 IMDB 7.0) This was on Lifetime/Xfinity, and there were a few commercials, but they were short, so it was okay. This story revolved around military service. The main girl had a cute smile, he took longer to grow on me. The two leads had a little karaoke display and they were great.
• Last Christmas (2019 IMDB 6.5) This one ended up being a favorite, which surprised me a little. This had been a theatrical release, and was streaming on HBO. I wasn't expecting the ending (often I catch those things before they happen). I may have shed a tear or two.
  
• Christmas on Ice (2020 IMDB 6.4) I think this was Lifetime ... it was on Demand with Xfinity. It was cute. The main gal was really cute, and the main guy was likeable. The little girl was pretty good. The roommate was a tad over the top, and the two girls had a really nice place. The couple on skates in the cover doesn't look like the main couple though!
• Mingle All The Way (2018 IMDB 6.9) This was a Hallmark movie, and I liked it fine, but honestly when we first met the leading man ... I thought perhaps he was gay, and that was going to be part of the storyline (and that he wasn't the romantic lead). Also the main gal's assistant (maybe they were going to get together?) but both men ended up in hetero relationships. I guess I read them wrong. The idea of the app was cute, a little over the top with their "bad" meetings. I think she would have gone for a different match and not continued on.
• Christmas Unwrapped (2020. IMDB 6.5) Lifetime/On Demand (Xfinity). It was cute.
• The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (2008. IMDB 7.3) Amazon Prime ... this one hadn't really called out to me (I had seen it available on Amazon last year but it didn't make it on my list), but the IMDB score was one of the higher ones. I ended up liking it a lot. Haven't seen the main gal in anything else. She was sure tall and skinny and elegant. The main fellow was quite likable. 
• A Christmas Switch (2018 IMDB 6.0) A switch-up from the usual Christmas romance. Two women, both married with daughters (one just four, the other a teen) switch bodies. One is a mommy-mom, waitress, singer, not very put together, while the other is the epitome of the sophisticated working woman. It was fun to see how they learned from being in each other's lives. While the overall ending was good, I hated the very end moment (indicating that the two daughters would now switch ... the thought of that darling 4-year old being so confused in a 16-year old's body didn't entertain me). 
  
• Finding Father Christmas (2016. IMDB 6.9) I had noticed "Marrying Father Christmas" as part of Amazon Prime, and realized it wasn't the first in the series. I saw there were two that preceded it, so I did a Hallmark Movie Subscription trial on Amazon and started at the beginning. It was cute.
• Engaging Father Christmas (2017 IMDB 6.9) Also on the Hallmark Movie Channel. Cute continuation. Interesting to see the slight change-up in hairstyle for the main gal. They replaced the actor playing the young girl.
  
• Marrying Father Christmas (2018 IMDB 6.3) Met, Engaged ... and this installment has the marriage. Just more of the same general cuteness. Peter's wife was recast. I had to wonder where the happy couple was off to, riding off in the snow at the end? The groom's parents own the town B&B, the wedding had happened at the couple's house (as far as them coming back there - everyone out!) ... where did they go? Was on Prime, but leaving ... also on the Hallmark channel.
  
• Window Wonderland (2013 IMDB 6.8) Hallmark Movie Subscription - hey, it's Lexi from Grey's Anatomy! With super short hair! This was a cute show, I enjoyed it. Total "Hallmark" movie formula.
  
• Ice Sculpture Christmas (2015 IMDB 6.7) Hallmark Movie Subscription. I had an ice sculpture at my wedding. I think they are cool and figured this would be an interesting watch just for that aspect alone. Is learning how to sculpt ice really a part of a chef's training?
  
• Best Christmas Party Every (2014 IMDB 6.5) Hallmark Movie Subscription. Another very formulaic Hallmark movie, but it was cute.
  
• Dear Christmas (2020 IMDB 6.1) Xfinity offered free access to Lifetime movies for a few days, so that's where I watched this. Brand new ... made during Covid as other 2020 premiers must have been. This one was interesting as there weren't very many people in the show, no crowd scenes (they were indicated off-screen). No mention of Covid specifically, no masks, although there were glass hearts made for healthcare workers as part of the story. I didn't care for Melissa Joan Hart - her lipstick distracted me SO much. It was like her lips were lined, not very well, and not filled in to match. Jason Priestley, from my earlier 90210 years. Ummmm... he was NOT singing, that didn't sound like what he would sound like at all. Overall, this was pretty blah.
  
• A Cinderella Christmas (2016 IMDB 6.3) Also on Lifetime/Xfinity. I liked this, the little "Cinderella" theme. Rolling my eyes a little that the main man didn't recognize the main gal without the mask. She has very distinctive lips! Pretty silly with the "getting married to the mystery woman on Christmas" but it's a Cinderella Christmas movie so, I just went with it. I had an issue with the subtitles - position of the hyphen in Christmas-querade . Or Chris-MASKerade. But not Christ-masquerade. I kept seeing "Christ" in there (which shouldn't be that surprising in a Christmas movie, but this was nothing to do with Christ).  
  
• Once Upon a Main Street (2020 IMDB 6.5) This was cute, although the ultimate ending was so "duh - just collaborate" from the start! Funny, the book Melissa Joan Hart's character wrote in Dear Christmas was in the bookstore here.
  
• A Timeless Christmas (2020 IMDB 7.2) Hallmark movie watched w/Xfinity ... which I didn't realize would be riddled with commercials when On Demand. While I liked this, I would have skipped it if I had known about all the commercials. A cute time-travel.
  
• Coming Home For Christmas (2013 IMDB 5.7) There are a couple movies with this title, the OTHER one was rated higher (6.7) and as I watched this I was seriously confused and then I realized this one was the lower rated one. It wasn't great. From the over-the-top teen dance memory (holy cow, the braces were totally protruding from her mouth) to the walking out of the wedding, to the husband leaving the sister (but leaving her the mansion and all the furnishings?) to the sister hijacking the other sister's massage, so the main guy happening to have a red-headed marionette that resembled one the girls had when they were young (and him selling it to her even though he'd promised it to someone else, what happened when the other came to collect) to the quick make-up between the sisters after not speaking for five years. The scenes would jump too, one minute the characters would be in one location, then it would shift to something completely unrelated and I would be like "um, how did we get here, and why?" The mother - Amy Jo Johnson will always be the pink ranger and the friend to Felicity. A little weird to see her as a mother to older girls, but ... I guess we're similar in age and I have married sons. I didn't think she looked like the mother to the two girls, but I did think the two girls really looked alike. They ARE sisters, so that explains that! I believed it was the girls singing ... but it was obvious the main gal wasn't singing live, that it had been recorded and they were trying to make it appear like they were singing live. It didn't work for me.
• A Christmas Cancellation (2020 IMDB 4.9) Hmmm ... should have checked the reviews (even though there aren't many, and I see the IMDB score has dropped even more with a few more reviews added). I didn't care for this, and it wasn't Christmas! It just happened to be set around Christmas time, but it didn't need to be at all. This was just weird (characters in a sitcom that realize they aren't real and that their show is going to end), and turned into this social commentary at the end, preachy, and it just did NOT work for me at all (or others, based on the reviews, despite all the "awards" peppering its cover). 
  
• Christmas in Mississippi (2017 IMDB 6.5) This was cute ... same gal as in "A Welcome Home Christmas" which I watched earlier in the month. I think I liked this match-up better. I really liked the light show the town put on! It was impressive!
  
• Christmas for a Dollar  (2013 IMDB 7.0) Not a romance, a bit older, and set back during the Depression. One-room schoolhouse. Cute couple of kids, nice touching storyline (if a little silly during the boy's cowboy imaginings) and a little too perfectly wrapped up ... but I liked it.
• A Christmas Angel (2009 IMDB 6.6)  This was really cute and sweet and a favorite this year. I liked some of the songs too - had to grab my phone and Shazam them. One song "Flying and Falling" (not Christmas) is now a favorite, and I ended up using it on the annual family slideshow for the year, as well as then looking at the other songs I'd Shazammed while watching movies. 
• Christmas Contract (2018 IMDB 6.9 ) I recognized the main gal from "One Tree Hill" ... and then the main guy looked familiar from that too (and yes, he had been in OTH too). At one point they had a little concert with a singer ... that's such a One Tree Hill thing, and he'd been a performer on that too. I did like the show, although it was weird seeing "Payton" older. I really liked the idea of the Christmas Tree maze though!
• A Bride for Christmas (2012 IMDB 6.6) Despite the premise ( a bet to get a girl to say yes to an engagement by Christmas) I thought this was cute. I remember the fellow from one of the Hallmark movies last year, and checking on IMDB, looks like he is in several! Reminds me of the cute guy in "This is Us" ...
  
• Noelle (2019 IMDB 6.3) We got a month of Disney+ to catch season 2 of The Mandelorian, so I figured I'd catch the Christmas movie Disney had made last year too. It was cute, had a very "Elf" feel at moments (the naive big kid from the North Pole in the regular world). 
• The Spirit of Christmas (2015 IMDB 6.5) This was cute. Same gal as "Mingle All The Way" - she has a little dent in her nose. Ghost story romance. Funny as I saw a Buzzfeed "hottest men from Christmas movies and the guy from this made the list (the only one from Hallmark/Lifetime movies, all the other men were more mainstream). 
  
• The Christmas Lodge (2011 IMDB 6.2) I liked it. Was a little on the religious side, with prayers and talk of "God" and heaven and such. 
  

 

General Thoughts ...

• I can't do movies with commercials. I've been too spoiled with Netflix and Amazon.  I hadn't realized (call me naive in inexperienced) that paid cable channels STILL have commercials. 
• Amazon needs to work on their subtitles - In many of the movies, almost every line had a couple words pushed together and it made for some weird words. In the final movie (Christmas Lodge) the subtitles were not timed correctly. The characters would speak, and there was quite a lag until what they said was shown (I need subtitles when I'm on the treadmill, as it's a little too noisy to catch it all ... and I just like subtitles all the time!)
• I don't decorate much (compared to EVERYWHERE in these movies).
• I'm not sure if all these love stories are supposed to be inspiring ... I got a little depressed.
• I like the music in these Christmas movies - lots of fun songs/versions I haven't heard.
  

I know it's the eating more than the exercising (but I have been having success with counting calories and fasting) but every minute of these movies was watched while working out, either elliptical or walking on the treadmill. Almost all the movies are around 90min (so they can fit into a two-hour time slot with 30minutes of commercials!) but 90min a day (I break it up into several workouts) is doable for me. 

Now what should I watch?