Thanks for the Bad Day and Horrible Hair! :)

There are days where everything just seems overwhelmingly horrible. Things that did not bother us days ago drive us crazy and all of the challenges in our life seem insurmountable. Yesterday was one of those days for me. My husband has been gone since November of last year and I miss him terribly. The only thing keeping him away from me is paperwork, and that drives me crazy. We usually can only talk on the weekends, but every time my phone rings I still wish and hope that it is him calling. I am not a person of few words, and so I feel so disconnected from him when we can't talk frequently. Most days I am alright, but yesterday I just wanted to talk to him and hear his voice.

My thirteen year old sister Sarah also went into the hospital with abdominal pain a few days ago, but was told that it was no more than she needed to eat more fiber. She just had her braces put on, so because her teeth were so sore she was primarily eating smoothies. In the process of finding out what was wrong with her, however they uncovered a large cyst on her ovaries. The ER doctor told my parents it was no big deal, but the pediatrician called the next day to tell them another story, that she needed  to be seen immediately and have it checked out. It should not wait. She has an appointment with the doctor soon, but I still worry about her. She has no idea about the cyst because my parents do not want to worry her needlessly. I feel so anxious about her, I did not know how to cope with it.

Weight Loss Without Radical Dieting or Exercise Part 2

I was so proud of the little changes that I had made, especially of eliminating late night snacking and having self control with the foods I loved. I also added more fruits and veggies to my diet which naturally are a lot lower in carbs then bread or pasta. I also started eating fat free snacks when I was craving sweets. Eating oranges instead of Ben and Jerry's does make a big difference.

It wasn't until this February when I moved into my new apartment that I got really motivated to start doing any major exercising. I felt the need to become a new person for the new apartment. After all, I had updated my home, why not update my body? I was also diagnosed as pre-diabetic and told by the doctor that the best thing I could do to help was to exercise and lose weight while watching my blood sugar levels and carb levels in each meal.

Weight Loss Without Radical Dieting or Exercise Part 1

We all want to change our bodies. We don't like our hips, our nose, or the way our hair never wants to stay straight in humid weather. Sometimes it's little cosmetic things, other times it is not so trivial. Sometimes we want to change so that our bodies are a healthy weight or so that we are fit enough to be able to take walks or jogs with our loved ones without being out of breath and exhausted.

When I got married I was 165 pounds. Of course, I still wanted to lose some inches, but overall I was proud of the way my body looked. I had worked hard to look good in my dress and I loved the results. After we got married I was diagnosed with a condition called Interstitial Cystitis (or IC) which is a non-bacterial infection in the lining of my bladder, I found myself in near constant pain and discomfort. It affected intimacy with my husband and I was constantly running to the restroom. A visit to the gynecologist helped me so much, she prescribed a medicine to help me manage the pain while dealing with other treatment options.

Writing to the Congressman

My husband called me today and said that I might be able to get him home sooner by writing to our Congressman. I had not considered writing to a politician to get my husband home sooner, but I was willing to try it. So I found Congressman Yarmuth's website and sent him a letter. I was not sure what to expect, but the next week I received a phone call from his office and was told that they were going to launch an official congressional inquiry as to what is holding him up. It is not guaranteed to help get him home sooner, but it might and at the very least it will give us a reason why is still stuck in Georgia.
So now I am wondering what other things we want to change that can be helped by writing to a Congressman. What are things you would change about your city or state? What problems would you want your congressman to solve?

Dog Park: A Worthy Investment

I spent $30 on a membership for my dog Katy to become a member of the Louisville Dog Parks. She is a very nervous dog who is afraid of everything. People, other dogs, loud noises and the car all make her cower on the ground and shake. So, I have been working on introducing her to more people and now have decided that she needs to be socialized with other dogs. The dog park membership allows me access to four dog parks around town, but so far I have only visited the one closest to my home. We have been going every afternoon for a week and already she is playing with other dogs and will run around instead of hiding under the bench where I am sitting or between my legs.
I have even noticed that on our walks she is more confident and seems curious about new situations. She is still afraid of the car and gets carsick, but hopefully with time she will get over that too. for now, I am just happy that she has room to run around off leash and play.

Steamed Carrots

Carrots - the word alone makes my nose wrinkle in disgust. Yes, they're healthy and I know they are full of healthy vitamins and antioxidants, but I just don't like them all that much. Crunchy and bland tasting, I only like them cooked with brown sugar which defeats the purpose of eating the healthy food in the first place. Since moving into the new apartment, I have been watching Food Network and find myself inspired. While I'm not trying anything particularly challenging yet, I have tried a few new things in the kitchen. So, what better food to try than something fat free and very healthy?

I made steamed carrots using my rice cooker which came with a steamer bowl attachment. It took a little longer than the instructions in the manual recommended, I cooked it for 18 minutes when only 10 was recommended. I added a little fat free I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and a pinch of salt, and it was delicious. I was more than a little shocked by how much I loved it, I actually ended up making more. 

So, thank you Food Network. I'm not making Coq au Vin, I have found a new vegetable I'm actually excited to eat and it was SO easy. What is the world coming to?

Groupon Deal for a 5 Cheap Dates!

I told you a little while ago about Groupon.com and that I found one great deal, and I am very excited to say I found another one!
My husband still isn't home, we are still waiting on paperwork to process, but I still am looking for ways that we can have fun and go out once he gets home without spending over our budget. The Comedy Caravan is a local comedy club that my husband loves visiting. He loves comedy in general, so I am really excited because I got a great deal on the tickets. I paid $10 for a set of two tickets to see comedy shows. I could have paid $15 for a pair of tickets to a weekend show, but we don't mind going to a show on a week night, so I opted for the cheaper tickets.
I ended up spending $50 on five sets of tickets, which was a little painful, but I have to realize I'm saving a lot of money. We could have a nice dinner at home then go out and have a date night for only $10! I have already paid for them, so it won't use any money from our budget when he gets home.
I can't wait to find my next Groupon deal!