Making Women feel less insecure makes the world go round!!

I was watching a comedy show on Netflix the other day, I was laughing so hard. It was just what I needed until it got to a point where the comedian was talking about how the worlds economy works by putting women down, telling them that they are ugly because they aren't a bean pole, or they are aging, and that their skin isn't tight anymore. It hit hard on me, 1. I wasn't laughing anymore 2. It is soon TRUE!!!! I went to an expo that weekend in my home town. It being called the "What Women Want" expo. I was able to look around the first day after a couple hours and I was amazed with how many booth were there with beauty products, including make-up, lotions to firm, clothes to tighten, wigs, teeth whitening. Why are we so into doing these things to ourselves? I stopped at the make up booth to give it a try, after the makeover I felt like I literally had WAR paint on. It felt heavy and thick. WHY DO WE FEEL LIKE WE NEED THIS?? I mean I don't want to grow older but I don't want to look like I am 20 years old forever. I don't want to be wearing a underbody suit that holds all my skin and fat in to give me a look of a 18 year old....gross. Don't get me wrong either I would love to age gracefully. I don't want to look like I am wearing the skin suit of something else. I have no problem m purchasing some product that I feel I could use that are at a more reasonable price. I will not buy every product out there to make me feel young. The only way to do that is with how I feel on the inside. I have a problem with allergies and family genetics that make my eyes puffy. I will go to bed after washing my face and it will look like me. I wake up and my eyes have swollen up and swallowed my eyes. I don't want that. I want my beautiful eyes to shine. So I started using a serum that helps with the bags under my eyes, it is called Naturel Commodity Super Peptide Eye Serum. It doesn't completely remove the bags but puts them back into place and adds moisturizer around my eyes. It doesn't burn like fire on the skin either. We all hate when we apply a cream and it feels as if you applied gasoline and lit a match. BURN BABY BURN!! I will burn these bags off! Not this cream, I can not tell that it is even on after I apply it. I found it off of amazon, and it is at a great price. BEST-Serum-Dark-Circles-Puffiness

div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Not with cellulite cream, I normally don't believe in any of those working. I believe that a proper diet and exercise is the only thing that helps with cellulite. Even then you can't get rid of it all. Come on women you can NOT get rid of something under your skin with a cream! That cream may help with tighten your skin but actually removing it, not going to happen. But what the hell I was going to try using a cream just for fun, right, why not. Yeah it didn't do anything. The Cellulite cream I used was called NYB Anti Cellulite Massage Oil. All it did was leave my skin like I rubbed baby oil allover my legs every night, and had to buy new sheets. https:Anti-Cellulite-Massage-Natural-Ingredient

I am not about about pharmaceuticals, more about natural remedies...

I am not one to go to the doctors when I am feeling sick. I usually try to hold off as long as possible. There isn't anything wrong with anyone that do go to the doctors. I just feel that for myself and family I would rather find the cause than cover it up with pain medication. I have switched doctors a few times and each one can't find something wrong, and hand me a pain killer and I am off. I never fill the precribtion and kick myself for going and paying the co-pay. In using more natural supplements in my home I have learned to love Tree Tea oil. You can use it on almost everything. I was told to use it after I had my nose pierced instead of rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. After looking into the differences, tree tea oil is less harsh on the skin. The uses for tree tea oi ranges from acne, fungal infections of the nail to lice in hair. "Tea tree oil is applied to the skin (used topically) for infections such as acne, fungal infections of the nail (onychomycosis), lice, scabies, athlete's foot (tinea pedis), and ringworm. It is also used topically as a local antiseptic for cuts and abrasions, for burns, insect bites and stings, boils, vaginal infections, recurrent herpes labialis, toothache, infections of the mouth and nose, sore throat, and for ear infections such as otitis media and otitis external." WebMD http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-113-tea%20tree%20oil.aspx?activeingredientid=113 I have used it on my acne for a year now. I use a cotton ball and apply purified water to lightly saturate the cotton ball, then add a couple drops of the tea tree oil. I also use it in our humidifier. I add just a few drops into the water and it helps the air in our home. It can be expensive to purchase but I found it on amazon at a reasonable cost. this is the link: https://www.amazon.com/Tree-terpenin-4-ol-Australia-100%25-Natural/dp/B01IG3UGF6/ref=sr_1_11?m=A3K94VWQ8DVMOE&s=merchant-items&ie=UTF8&qid=1470327949&sr=1-11

Why does it feel that overtime you try to get somewhere more forward you fall further behind. It seems that life just piles it on when you are so close of digging yourself out. I missed running my marathon two weeks ago. all because i was lazy to train. I use to love running, it was the one thing that I used to help me with my anxiety. As of lately I have no desire to do much of anything. I need to try something anything, but I just haven't found anything that I can grab on to and pull me through it.

I have tried to wake up early but I seem to sleep walk and turn every alarm off and go back to bed. I will find something that will help me.

I have tried some newer gloves to help with my carpel tunnel syndrome in my wrists they are called Copper Compression Comfort Gloves. I have really liked wearing them. They don't get in the way of anything. They aren't super tight either so it doesn't feel like they are cutting off my circulation either.

                     

I have three dogs and two cats. We do some traveling with two of our dogs in the vehicle. I am not sure about everyone else dogs but mine like to walk from side to side. They like to make sure you are going the right way on the road and get up near the front window. I was able to review the INNX Nylon Material car Adjustable dog Seat Belt Safety tether and Car Restraint Tether for Pet Dog Cat and loved them. T They are extremely easy and quick to use. 

                                

With everything you need to have a drink once and awhile. I have had the pleasure to review the  Cocktail Shaker Premium Set by SHIKSHOOK. It is a really nice set up, and comes with a ebook of recipes. It has a double jigger, 2 pourers, and a book to protect the shaker.

What did I do to have a kid like this?!

I went to my oldest sons football practise and drop off pizzas and soda. After setting everything up the group had about a total of 20 pizzas from Little Ceasers and 10 two liter sodas. As soon as the coaches let the kids go the pizzas were gone in 30 minutes. They were not gone all by eating alone, the kids were throwing sodas at each other and pizzas. Don't get me wrong boys will be boys , but I was raised that we DO NOT waste food. My son and I helped a couple other mothers pick up empty cups and pizza pieces over the park. After loading him into the car and heading home I started the conversation that almost mad me cry.

"I am so glad that you are disrespectful like some of the other kids on your team. I just can't believe they were throwing sodas and pizzas at each other. Than to leave all of the garbage! Wow, just wow. I appreciate you stopping what you were doing and helped with cleaning up. You are amazing!"

My son just looked at me and nodded his head. He than explained about his last game and how many kids weren't happy that they were being benched because of their grades and having their parents upset at the coaches. I just drove and listened. He explained further about how some of the kids acted at school and that they might not be able to play this Saturday. I nodded and explained how important grades are to high school sports and college and work. This is the part that made my head swing. "Well hopefully all the work that I have put in during lunch will work and (his friend) will be able to play." I asked him " What do you mean?"   He looked at me and seemed a little uncomfortable but was able to wait it out. He explained that he was helping a kid on his football team with his school work so he can play. What an amazing young man he has become. I hope that through the teenage years he won't change his attitude on helping others.

I have been extremely busy with life besides taking my son back and forth to football. We decided to start repainting our front door and garage and the results are amazing!

Another project the I have been working on has been cleaning out my closet and getting rid of some older clothes that I don't wear anymore.  I realized how many tanks I have. I have so many that I am unable to hang them up in my closet so I had them in a drawer. Which means that they are consistently wrinkled. So I used my deport import Shower curtain rings to hang up my tank tops using one hanger and I can easily remove the tank tops from the rings.

Then to top of everything else I am doing, I decided to start meal prepping again to help out. I had some containers from the times I ordered them from a local company. I found a few recipes from an ebook called "The Essential Bodybuilding Cookbook by Ryan Powell.  It has sections on how to start,  eating to build muscles and to burn fat. It also has  breakfast, poultry, other meats, vegetarian & vegan, seafood, soups, sides, salads, snack, shakes, drinks, and desserts. There are many options on recipes and most are everyday items, without that weird seasoning from some country that we never heard of.

I used my new meat thermometer from for the the Cajun Chicken recipe, and the Chicken Burgers.
The thermometer is AMAZING. It has a base and the device with the screen. The best part is the probe can be in the chicken (or meat) on the Barbecue while I take the screen with me inside and prep the vegetables will making sure the chicken is getting over cooked and dry out. I had perfect chicken and perfect turkey meatloaves. The veggies were also perfect. So with everything going on this was a perfect way to end the last few weeks.

Why do we have to workout?!

Don't get me wrong, I love to get a good sweat on. I really do love it, but there are those few days that  we just want to lay down and catch up on netflix, and we just don't feel like going to the gym.

 If we follow through with those days, one will lead into two, and two will lead into three so on so forth. And before you know it it has been 3 months since you have walked through the gym doors. Okay maybe that isn't everyone else, but that has been me the last three months. 

I am ashamed of myself. I have actually felt hate toward myself because I have body issues and without working out it gets harder for me. I visualize myself and pick myself apart.  I know this is unhealthy and I have tried to just love myself the way I am, but this is an issue that I have and been trying to work on it. 

Running has been a vice for me helping with my temper and body issues. After hurting my knee running has been come and go. But i have tried many different knee braces and this has helped, not the great but has been pretty good. I was able to try a compression sleeve on my knee and it was nice. 

I can't wait to use it in the gym on squats, that will have to be in another blog...

  

I had to throw the towel in last week!

I had many wonderful opportunities last couple of weeks but with those great opportunities came some struggles.

My sister and her two wonderful daughters came and visited the last two weeks. We really haven't had much time to visit let alone talk about our lives. So having her in my home was amazing. Because I haven't seen her for awhile, I was able to see immense changes. She has grown into such a wonderful mother and person. She has more patience in her little finger than I have in my whole body. Her oldest just has the biggest imagination. She will see something, or something will catch her attention and see will starting singing about it. Her youngest could get away with murder with her dimples. Unfortunately both got sick while at my home. This is always the case, but no one had to go to the hospital...this time. One of the reasons that my sister came to visit, is because my husband was leaving for two weeks with the Army Reserves and with school starting I needed some help with the back to school activities such as school shopping for supplies and clothes.
Both families had such I great time. We went to parks and for walks. The cousins enjoyed hanging around with each other and being able to spend time.

Everyone taking a nap

SCHOOL STARTED!!!! Who can think that is a bad thing is bound me. Don't get me wrong I have enjoyed having my boys home all summer, but  we were getting to the point that the fighting and the quarrels were happening too often. I like the structure that school helps bring to our home. 

We took the boys to each schools back to school night and football practises. All of which left me a little stretched and frazzled.

School started on Thursday and my youngest decided the night before that he wanted to play the violin. Which in turn meant I needed to get my old violin out and cleaned up, restrung, and tuned. thank goodness for a close friend who I ran into and offered to help me out!! Thank you Jordan!

While my husband was gone the first week our dog decided to get terrible sick and vomit and have the poops all over, all night and day! Which was the day my mother and sister were leaving. 

So, on Monday I had to do everything by myself. I got up through out the night to let the dog out to go to the bathroom. I woke up and got the boys up and ready for school. I got my youngest to violin and went home got my oldest on the bus showered and went to go pick up my youngest and brought him home. Then dropped off at school, which after I took the dog to the vet. Which I was explained that I need to make my dogs meals of boiled chicken and rice. So I lost it, I cried, and felt like everything was falling out from underneath me. I needed to take the day and reset myself.

So naturally I had a few drinks of wine. I opened two bottles of wine, both are my favorite and had a glass of one and a glass of the other. With a few glasses of wine I wasn't able to finish the whole bottle. I was glad that I had my Kovot Flavor Savers for my wine, which I plan on finishing later this week.
The flavor savers are a cork replacement. They are plastic, screw shaped. I had one bottle that was corked and one that has a twist top. The flavor savers worked well on the bottle that had a cork. The flavor savers didn't fit in the opening of the bottle with the twist top. The bottle opening was too big. I tried the bottle cap savers on the twist off bottle and they were okay not the greatest.
I am looking forward to drink the remaining wine later this week!

You can purchase the Kovot Flavor Savers on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/KOVOT-Beer-Wine-Flavor-Savers/dp/B01G7FXPEO

Chore Chart

Dolores Umbridge : Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix

I loved the Harry Potter series until this movie, it is because of this character.

Overtime I ask my kids to do their chores and they don't listen and I have to ask a second time, and all I can hear is "I need order".

So, I decided to make a chore chart using a few clip boards, paper, magic erase markers and these amazing things I found on Amazon. 

They're reusable page covers that come in a packages of 10. They are stitched around the outside and are colored.  I have always color coded my boys one is red and one is green, which in turn works perfectly for my chore charts. 

I have chores for the weekdays that include normal day to day things such as dishes, making beds, etc. Then I have a chore of the day that focuses more on particular room in the home. For example I have KITCHEN setup for Monday. This includes cleaning up and washing the counter tops, scrubbing and disinfecting the sinks, wiping off appliances, washing floor. In this chore of the day one child gets the bolded items and the other child gets the other ones and kitchen gets repeated on Friday. On Friday they switch chores so one isn't always washing the floors and one isn't always washing the counter tops.
Once they are completed for the day we can cross the day off in dry erase markers. if both charts are marked off they are able to get the code for the Internet password for their electronics.

I am super excited about these pages. Hopefully no more whining about their chores.....well we can hope!