Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

OOTD

Top & Jeans: Old Navy

Scarf: Gift

Boots: Man I can't even remember the website I bought them off way back

Jacket: Burlington Coat Factory

Tee: J Crew

Pants & Boots: Old Navy

Sweater and Shirt: Gap

Skirt: Old Navy

Tights: Target

Shoes: Lucky

St. Patrick's Day

2015 St. Patrick's Day

2016 St. Patrick's Day

Art bought me a selfie stick recently. George LOVES that thing! When I pull it out to use for pictures he is more than happy to take a picture. He also likes to walk around the house with it. We quickly snapped a couple pictures the morning of St. Patrick's Day with the selfie stick. Thankfully I did it right away because later on the green mustache shirt was very dirty.

I love the app on my phone TimeHop. It shows you years prior Facebook, Instagram and Twitter posts you have made. I love looking at the pictures of George from last year. He has grown so much. He is finally starting to get some hair. It is so very blonde! I just love life with my little man!

Wordless Wednesday

Wrong Lotto

I rarely buy lotto tickets. When I do it is when the lotto is a huge amount. I have always said I have a better chance to get hit by lightening than to win the lotto. Or in my case I got hit by a rare type of thyroid cancer. Sometimes I forget just how rare it is. Let me give you some statics, so you understand how rare Medullary Thyroid Cancer is. Around 40% of people alive today will get some type of cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. Out of the 40% there will be about 1% of those people with some type of thyroid cancer. Then 1-2% of the people with thyroid cancer will end up with Medullary Thyroid Cancer. Calculating all that out is around 600-1200 people each year will get MTC.

I realized recently that I actually have won a lotto. The lotto is a rare type of thyroid cancer. This is not the lotto I was looking to participate in. I didn't put my money in this jackpot. Part of me hopes that by joining this unlucky lotto I will be the 40%, so none of my family will have to go through this.

There are 2 things in life that have changed me and how I look at life. One is cancer and the second is all my miscarriages. I am a different type of mother because of these things. I try to soak in all the moments. I waited for this for so long. I don't know how long I have to enjoy these moments, so I am going to soak them up the best I can. If my son wants to keep a bottle at night until he is 3 fine. What is it going to hurt? If he wants to sleep with me until he is 7 we will make room. One day he will be grown up and we will wish he was yelling for momma to come get him.

My favorite part of the morning is where he wakes up a little, lays his face on mine, gives me a kiss and goes to sleep. That right there is the jackpot of life!

Menu Monday

I've done really well planning out my meals for the week. We rarely eat out these days. Maybe once a week. Here is what we are eating for dinner this week.

Lentil Bolognese
Chicken & Asparagus with coconut rice
Sweet Potato and Turkey skillet
Chicken and potato soup
Honey garlic chicken
Hamburgers with homemade fries

Over the weekend I made pork fried rice. I have tried to make fried rice many time and it just doesn't turn out anything like the Chinese restaurants. Well I finally found the best recipe! The recipe doesn't call for pork, but I added some. I cut up some pork loin really small and fried it with the veggies. Then I served some garlic green beans along side of the rice. Art and George loved it! Art agreed it tasted great and asked for leftovers for work. He normally doesn't like leftovers to take to work. He is simple. He just wants a sandwich he can take with him.

Banana Cream

One of our favorite newest treats is banana cream. It is soooo easy to make. I rarely give G sugary treats. This is a treat he can have where he thinks he is getting sugar, but it's all natural.

Take 3 bananas, break them apart and put them in the freezer in a container.

Freeze them for a couple hours.

Take the frozen bananas and 3/4 cup of coconut milk and blend in a blender.

Take half the banana cream out and set aside. Mix in cocoa powder to make chocolate version.

Layer vanilla and chocolate banana cream in a container and top with your favorite toppings. We like to use almonds, granola, pecans, and coconut.

Look who approves!

OOTD

Lots of repeats! I haven't bought much new lately. I have actually been getting rid of a lot. I think I have cleared out about 5 garbage bags from my closet. You wouldn't even know it with all the clothes still in there. I have gotten rid of a lot of stuff that I don't like, doesn't fit good or just blah about. Having a toddler I can't wear shirts that are shorter. I hate chasing after G and my shirt is riding up! Prior to kids I didn't have the trouble because I wasn't wrestling 20 pound baby alligators. =)

Tee: J Crew

Pants: Gap

Jacket: Burling Coast Factory

Shoes: Lucky

Top & Skirt: Lularoe - seriously love these clothes

Cardigan: Old Navy

Tights: Target

Shoes: Tory Burch

I am a walking Old Navy Commercial in the above OOTD - everything is from there

Tee & Pants: Old Navy

Jacket: Target

Shoes: Lucky

Wordless Wednesday

I'm officially a hippy!

I can't even believe what is coming out of my fingers onto the screen at the moment......brace yourselves. I'm starting to use essential oils. I have been the biggest eye roller for so long. Just though another bandwagon full of nonsense. 

I will say I don't use them on George and I don't ingest them either. Those 2 things have been a concern of mine. I think years down the road studies will come out about ingesting them. You have to be oh so careful with scents on children because of hormones and causing craziness!  That's a whole other post. I've been so very careful all of G 17+ months with perfumes. I've thrown all mine away, always bathed him after anyone held him wearing perfume yadda yadda. 

Anyhow back to the bandwagon I've now jumped on lol. I've been suffering with acne sooooo badly for the past few months ever since I stopped pumping my face went bonkers with hormones. Horrible cystic acne all along my jaw line. I've used coconut oil, ACV, medication, dove soap, no soap and the list goes on. When I went to refill my medication from the dermatologist I decided wait I need to see what natural thing will help acne. Well guess what it's lavender. I decided to try that before I picked up a harsh chemical. It's been a couple weeks and there is a HUGE difference. I have a few break outs right now but my monthly friend is visiting so I feel that's normal. 

The cystic are less and less. Less scaring. It's really amazing. Plus the lavender helps me relax at night.  I only put it on my face after I wash my face. I use dove soap and coconut oil to take off my make up. This combo is working. 

I suffer from headaches way too much. Migraines that send me to bed. The other day I had been suffering from a headache all day. I don't normally let them go on all day because they can lead to a migraine. I was trying to avoid taking Motrin. I tried peppermint oil on my temples. Within moments the headache was completely gone! 

I think my 30s have turned me into a hippy! 

Wordless Wednesday

Setbacks

In the past I've been very open about my life on my blog & social media. I've shared a lot of personal things when it came to my health ~ infertility, cancer and the start of what the doctor thinks is MS. Then I had G and my blogging really slowed down.

I realize people only put out there what they want people to see. Sometimes I can vomit what's going on in my life. That's my way of healing and handling the curveballs that are being thrown at me. 

Ten years ago if I could see into the future I would have said I was being shown the wrong life. Those things happen to other people not me. I've learned I am those other people to everyone else. 

A few weeks back I complained to someone how I just couldn't do all this. Work full time, be a full time mom, and battle 2 diseases. The person pretty much told me I needed to suck it up because that's what all working moms go through. Those comments have stung. I learned though that person has absolutely no idea what I go through in life and really is not a friend. 

Moms take on the world. We take on so much with so little help. We just think we can do it all. Reality is we need help and can't do it all. Sometimes we just need some encouragement and sympathy/empathy. 

I spend a good portion weekly reading/researching about my cancer. Trying to make sure I'm getting the best care available. This is not a normal thing most other mothers even worry about on a daily basis. Sure we all worry in the back of our minds that we will be there for their children life. Unfortunately I get a quarterly reminder how short my life can be.

I try to take that to stop & enjoy each moment I am given. I keep my camera close by because I want to catch every moment I can. I journal daily for G. Part of it so one day I can look back and remember all the little things. Another part is I want him to know how much I loved being his mom. 

I started writing this blog post back in October. I have struggled some with the setbacks I have been dealing with over the past few months. I had an ah-ha moment the other day. I was struggling with the actions of people, why things can be such a challenge and just feeling overwhelmed. In my ah-ha moment I realized I am going through a time of setback right now in life. I need to take a moment to see what I can learn from all this. There must be something to learn in a period of a setback. I have no idea what I am supposed to be learning, but I don't have any doubt that I will learn something.

Menu Monday

The past week I have been eating clean. I followed a FB group where everything was planned out for the group. It really was fabulous. The grocery list to daily menus for all 3 meals were all included. I loved it! Following this group helped me get back on track. I have been eating waaaaay too much sugar lately.

I decided to create my own weekly plan from breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. This way I have a plan for everything I need to eat. When I plan out what to eat I grab much better things. I also can't get over hungry or I eat junk.

I thought I would share my plan with you for the week.

MONDAY

Breakfast - overnight oats
Snack - hard boiled egg
Lunch - Salad ~ lettuce, chicken, tomatoes, walnuts, or whatever else we have around to add
Snack - Celery with nut butter
Dinner - BBQ in a jar ~ I saw this on Pinterest and thought it was adorable. I will make a roast in the crockpot, then put some coleslaw and baked beans in a jar.

TUESDAY

Breakfast - eggs ~ I like to either fry an egg, egg with kale and salsa. I make them different each time
Snack - yogurt
Lunch - chicken, veggie and rice bowl
Snack - fruit with some nuts
Dinner- Fish, sweet potatoes and green beans

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast - Eggs
Snack - Hard Boiled Egg
Lunch - Salad
Snack - Yogurt
Dinner - Burrito Bowls ~ leftover shredded pork, rice, avocado, tomatoes, salsa etc

THURSDAY

Breakfast - overnight oats
Snack - celery with nut butter
Lunch - I have a work thing, so I will get food while I am out
Snack - Apple
Dinner - Cobb Salad

FRIDAY ~ TGIF!!!!

Breakfast - Eggs
Snack - Yogurt
Lunch - Taco Salad (use leftovers from burrito bowls)
Snack - Hummus & Veggies
Dinner - Meat Loaf, Mash Potatoes and a veggies

There you have it! I made my shopping list as I made my menu. I like to look at different blogs or Pinterest while I am making my menu for different ideas.

Vegan cheese

I think I mentioned on a previous post that I have given up dairy. Cheese is the hardest part. Pizza and Mexican food.....oh boy! Thankfully there are so many options these days. Sprout's has a lot of options for a good price. I found Daiya sliced cheese that melts amazing on a grilled cheese. I was looking through the frozen section at Sprout's and found the dairy free pizza below. It really tasted good. The meatless meat on it even was tasty. I would like to find a vegan pizza with actual meat though lol

Earth Balance vegan mac & cheese is really good too. I used coconut milk when I made it. Of course it doesn't taste like Kraft, but it's a good substitute.

There are just a couple of the substitutes I have found that I like.  

Wordless Wednesday

A Journey of 10 Years!

I haven't ever been a big Valentines fan. I use to refer to it as Hate Day. Art asked me out on our first date on Valentines. I refused to go on Hate Day. I did go out with him, but it wasn't on February 16. It is hard to believe this all happened 10 years ago. The past 10 years have gone by quickly in some ways and long in other ways.

October 2006

September 2007

It is amazing how much has happened to us. Our first dance song was called Never Alone by Jim Brickman. What a perfect song for the journey we were about to travel.  I found an old email last week that we had sent to each other when we were dating. I wish I would have saved a lot more emails. It talks about being in love and hoping to be even more in love 10 years later. Art asked me if I love him more now. My response was it is a much different love now. It is stronger and deeper. Back then it was more of a giddy love. We've been through so much together that a love changes and I feel ours has changed for the better.

April 2008

I wish people took marriage more seriously. I wish they put as much effort into marriage as they do the games on their phone or Xboxes. Marriage is no joke. It is A LOT of work! People have the mentality when things are broke you throw it away and get a new one. Same with spouses. Trade them in for younger, richer, or just the thrill of the chase.

We have both had to put a lot of work into making our marriage work for us. We have taken the mentality with our marriage when some thing is broken in our relationship we are going to fix it. Some things we can't fix, other things we fix and some times we have to pray for the other to realize things need to be fixed. Prayer isn't instant either. When those prayers are answered the journey was worth it.

November 2015

Our journey started 10 years ago today and it has brought us along a path neither of us imagined.

December 2015

Legging OOTD

Have you discovered Lularoe? What about their leggings? O-M-G those things feel like butter! Soooo soft and comfortable! I am struggling to understand why leggings aren't business wear. I feel people make uncomfortable clothing the items that we are "supposed" to be wearing. Why not make appropriate clothing the most comfortable! I wear leggings as many days a week as I can. lol I just love them!

Sporting my valentine leggings with slippers! My favorite work outfit when I am working at home.

Here are 4 of my 6 pairs of leggings - the others are in the wash or on the drying rack.

I'm wearing my Lularoe bow Irma top with just regular leggings in the picture above.

These leggings are Old Navy Yoga. They are sooooo comfy! I wear these probably the most during a week. Great to throw on after a day in the office.

The above leggings have arrows on them. You can't tell in the picture because of the poor lighting. These were probably my favorite. The first time I wore them I found a hole. Sadly these are no longer in my wardrobe. They have been replaced by a different design. I miss these beauties!

Wordless Wednesday

Menu Monday

It is that time again to be making a menu for the week. I make my menus on Friday before I head to the grocery store. I have been trying to make easier things. I have a limited time to cook dinner. Usually I can entertain George long enough to cook for about 20 minutes. I either have to lock him out of the kitchen with 2 gates or put him in the highchair with a snack.

I would rather not give him a snack before dinner because then he doesn't eat good. Sometimes you just have to do whatever it takes to get a task done. The other night I decided to give him a snack. I was making avocado sauce to put on pasta. He had one taste of the avocado and he ate a whole one. He was shoveling it in as fast as he could get it in his mouth.

I am still using things from my freezer. I like to buy meat when it is on sale. Here is what is on our menu this week.

Korean Beef, rice and broccoli

Chicken breasts with baked potatoes

Kielbasa sandwiches and roasted veggies

Zuppa Toscana Soup