I put in a two-week notice at my evening job last night. It was bittersweet telling my supervisor that I would be leaving, knowing that it will leave a gap that they will have to fill, but today I am filled with joy as I watch my children and know that after next Thursday, we can finally be a "normal" family (and normal may be relative!).
Since having children, we really have not been what I would call "normal" because we've been on such a mission to earn income. Now, I have to say, we have no high hopes of becoming rich by any means . . . we just made a few un-wise decisions early in our marriage that we had to live with and learn from for the past few years. As I mentioned in a previous post, we are committed to getting out of debt, which means paying off all of our student loans. After that our only debt will be the mortgage, and we can live with that!
So why would I quit my job? Normal to us would be where Daddy goes to work, and when he comes home, the family is together - eating, conversing, working on a project - just together.
After making our "bad" decisions (though we've come to realize they were necessary and God used them to teach us to follow Him better), we spent several years playing catch-up. We had more bills than income, and were constantly trying to fill those gaps. So David started a demolition business. I started selling Discovery Toys. David got a job at McDonald's. I got jobs at the mall and as a janitor at a local manufacturing plant.
None of these were bad things to do. There is no problem with starting a business or selling something out of your home, but we didn't have the capital to be able to make them turn a profit. There is no problem with getting a second job, but we let those jobs take time from our family. When David was at McDonald's, he was working about 16-20 hours a day, leaving me at home alone with the kids. While I've been working, David and I meet at the door and he comes in while I'm going out. Our only time at home together is Wednesdays and weekends. We're usually busy on Fridays and Saturdays, so we've started using time that we would usually attend church to stay at home and have that family time we've been missing.
We started talking about it and questioning how we could possibly get out of debt, and one of us working a second job seemed like the only way. Then we met with our CPA to do our taxes. She is an awesome, godly lady who is familiar with what we are trying to do and has also been through Financial Peace University. She worked with us and helped us to find a way David can prevent the govenment from taking so much out of his paycheck (yes, it's totally legal!). And that amount is equal to what I have been making the past few months at my job!
We doubted, we didn't trust that God would take care of our desire and honor our commitment to be debt-free. Yet, He still provided a way when we didn't expect it! How awesome! And so, last night my job began to end. I have 5 more nights of working, and I am so looking forward not only to having evenings at home being a mommy to my children and a wife to my husband, but to going back to church for more than just the morning service.
I am so thankful for a God who does care about us, who wants us to follow Him and to train our children to do the same. He provided for us in spite of our best efforts to do so ourselves.
Eph. 3:20-21 has long been one of my favorite passages: "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever"!!
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Unexpected Allergies: Part 2
We went to see the allergist (whew! boy, do I have a story on the payment for that one! but that's another day . . .) in August, two months after the initial wheezing/coughing/hives outbreak in June. She was wonderful. She spent about 2 hours in the room with us, talking about all of Samuel's issues and figuring out for what we would be testing that day. Samuel sat like a champ through 18 scratch tests on his little arms and waited for them to show us our results. We were pretty surprised - he tested positive for 13 of them.
Grass.
Dust mites (several kinds).
Cat hair.
Dogs.
Horses.
Pollen.
Soy.
Eggs.
PEANUTS.
The soy and eggs were actually miniscule in comparison to the others, so at this point, we have been told that they shouldn't affect him too much. But peanuts?? Oh, that one was reeeeeally bad! Samuel hated PB&J and all other peanut things for a long time, but peanut butter is so convenient, I forced it upon him only months before until he liked it at least somewhat. Not to mention, there are lots of foods that are manufactured with peanuts in the same plant, so we need to avoid those, too.
And dust . . . who doesn't have dust in their house? We were advised to clean our house as spotless as possible, as often as possible. And we're supposed to get rid of our carpet (fortunately only one room of our house is carpeted and the rest is hard wood). I was interested to learn that it's dust mites. I didn't even know there was a difference.
And she told us to keep our windows shut during high pollen times, and that Samuel shouldn't spend a lot of time playing in the grass, especially in the heat, as his eczema is exacerbated by being too warm.
Then there was the prescribed medication, which after a couple of months we realized was triggering outbursts of anger in our sweet boy. We took him off of that pretty quickly after figuring that out!
We've learned since that Samuel is extremely allergic to bean dust . . . which is a problem since Daddy is a farmer! We found that out after Samuel took a ride in the combine this fall and I ended up driving about 75 mph the entire 7-mile trip home with him choking in the backseat. Talk about a helpless moment. As a result, all through harvest David had to come home and take everything off at the back door, then jump into the shower before touching or even being within a few inches of Samuel.
So far, we have been with or close to Samuel's nebulizer and a bottle of Benadryl each time he has had an allergic reaction, and for that we are extremely thankful. We carry epipens, but have not yet had to use one. (Although, Samuel did administer one to himself at Thanksgiving just "for fun", haha)
As far as these allergies, aside from the bean dust which causes immediate anaphylaxis (throat closing), the hardest part for us is that none of the others cause such a reaction. Think of it this way. You have an 8 oz. cup in front of you and pitchers of allergens in your hand. Pour in 3 oz. of peanut, 2 oz. of dog dander, and then 4 oz. dust mites, and the cup is suddenly running over with allergens. This is what causes the reaction. Sometimes we don't know if or how much Samuel has been exposed to one allergen, and don't realize it until there is just too much for his little system. There are also likely other things Samuel is reacting to that we have not yet tested, so we try to keep track of exposures as much as possible.
Samuel has constant eczema issues and needs thick lotion once or more per day, and sometimes uses a topical steroid as well. I show his legs here, but during outbreaks, his hands and eyes are usually swollen as well. As seen in the photos, Samuel's eczema is a day-to-day issue that is worse some days than others. We just spent a few minutes outside and he already has the hives all over his right hand and arm.
Samuel is also very sensitive to temperature - he overheats from very little exertion, which as mentioned before makes skin/breathing problems worse, and he gets very cold much more quickly than most of us as well.
As far as our eating . . . I am all for sugary, yummy treats. But a friend in the medical world as well as others have told us that sugar weakens the immune system if it is already weak. And Samuel definitely has a weakened immune system. So while we enjoy some sugar still, we have really tried to cut that amount way down. I don't know for sure if it's helping or not, but we at least feel like we're doing something good!
As I mentioned in the last post, we are just so thankful for God's provision since June, that we have always been close to our nebulizer and Benadryl when Samuel has had a reaction. We will need to continue to see the allergist once a year and continue to do testing, but the hope is that he will outgrow at least some of the allergies by kindergarten.
We pray that none of this is a lasting condition, but until he outgrows it or until eternity . . . we'll keep trusting the Lord to show us how to help our son.
Grass.
Dust mites (several kinds).
Cat hair.
Dogs.
Horses.
Pollen.
Soy.
Eggs.
PEANUTS.
The soy and eggs were actually miniscule in comparison to the others, so at this point, we have been told that they shouldn't affect him too much. But peanuts?? Oh, that one was reeeeeally bad! Samuel hated PB&J and all other peanut things for a long time, but peanut butter is so convenient, I forced it upon him only months before until he liked it at least somewhat. Not to mention, there are lots of foods that are manufactured with peanuts in the same plant, so we need to avoid those, too.
And dust . . . who doesn't have dust in their house? We were advised to clean our house as spotless as possible, as often as possible. And we're supposed to get rid of our carpet (fortunately only one room of our house is carpeted and the rest is hard wood). I was interested to learn that it's dust mites. I didn't even know there was a difference.
And she told us to keep our windows shut during high pollen times, and that Samuel shouldn't spend a lot of time playing in the grass, especially in the heat, as his eczema is exacerbated by being too warm.
Then there was the prescribed medication, which after a couple of months we realized was triggering outbursts of anger in our sweet boy. We took him off of that pretty quickly after figuring that out!
We've learned since that Samuel is extremely allergic to bean dust . . . which is a problem since Daddy is a farmer! We found that out after Samuel took a ride in the combine this fall and I ended up driving about 75 mph the entire 7-mile trip home with him choking in the backseat. Talk about a helpless moment. As a result, all through harvest David had to come home and take everything off at the back door, then jump into the shower before touching or even being within a few inches of Samuel.
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| Samuel's legs during the bean dust outbreak. Here, he was on the nebulizer while I sponge bathed him in a chair. |
So far, we have been with or close to Samuel's nebulizer and a bottle of Benadryl each time he has had an allergic reaction, and for that we are extremely thankful. We carry epipens, but have not yet had to use one. (Although, Samuel did administer one to himself at Thanksgiving just "for fun", haha)
As far as these allergies, aside from the bean dust which causes immediate anaphylaxis (throat closing), the hardest part for us is that none of the others cause such a reaction. Think of it this way. You have an 8 oz. cup in front of you and pitchers of allergens in your hand. Pour in 3 oz. of peanut, 2 oz. of dog dander, and then 4 oz. dust mites, and the cup is suddenly running over with allergens. This is what causes the reaction. Sometimes we don't know if or how much Samuel has been exposed to one allergen, and don't realize it until there is just too much for his little system. There are also likely other things Samuel is reacting to that we have not yet tested, so we try to keep track of exposures as much as possible.
Samuel has constant eczema issues and needs thick lotion once or more per day, and sometimes uses a topical steroid as well. I show his legs here, but during outbreaks, his hands and eyes are usually swollen as well. As seen in the photos, Samuel's eczema is a day-to-day issue that is worse some days than others. We just spent a few minutes outside and he already has the hives all over his right hand and arm.
 |
| Samuel's legs today - a good day! |
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| Backs of Samuel's legs today |
As far as our eating . . . I am all for sugary, yummy treats. But a friend in the medical world as well as others have told us that sugar weakens the immune system if it is already weak. And Samuel definitely has a weakened immune system. So while we enjoy some sugar still, we have really tried to cut that amount way down. I don't know for sure if it's helping or not, but we at least feel like we're doing something good!
As I mentioned in the last post, we are just so thankful for God's provision since June, that we have always been close to our nebulizer and Benadryl when Samuel has had a reaction. We will need to continue to see the allergist once a year and continue to do testing, but the hope is that he will outgrow at least some of the allergies by kindergarten.
We pray that none of this is a lasting condition, but until he outgrows it or until eternity . . . we'll keep trusting the Lord to show us how to help our son.
Unexpected Allergies: Part 1
I'm not one of those people who gets all hyped up about medical stuff. You know what I mean - I've never quite believed the ones who are allergic to everything, have pains everywhere, etc. But I just thought I'd take the time to share our story and my own heart a bit regarding our family's little medical struggle and God's providence through it all.
Samuel was born in '09 a healthy little boy. We couldn't have been happier. David and I have always been very healthy ourselves, only needing to visit the doctor once every few years , so we fully expected to have the same in our children. And I must interject right now before I really start, that I know there are so many people with much more difficult or severe conditions, but to us, this is huge!
People commented to us right from the start that Samuel was a heavy breather. I can't count how many times others would ask me if he was okay because he was breathing so loudly! When Samuel was about 9 months old, he had RSV. We put him on a nebulizer for a few weeks and he seemed fine. He also had unusually dry skin. Not a big problem to us.
Fast forward to this past summer. June 18, 2011. We had Julia's first birthday party and spent hours outside where the kids ran through the grass and got very hot! My parents and my in-laws became very concerned when Samuel was breathing heavily. Since this happened fairly often, David and I dismissed it for awhile. However, Samuel broke out in hives all over and we knew something was wrong. Not knowing really what else to do, we gave him some Benadryl and used hydrocortisone lotion, and he and David sat in the bedroom for the remainder of the afternoon working on calming down so he could breathe.
We still didn't think too much of the whole thing until exactly one month later. It was a routine morning at home, and Samuel had been "helping" me fold laundry. He had disobeyed somehow and I had given him a brief time-out in his room. At about 8:30 a.m. he started wheezing and coughing uncontrollably. His skin turned red again, and this time I knew something was definitely wrong. The worst feeling in the world is when your child can't breathe and you have no idea what caused it or how to fix it! My 2-year-old baby was so panicked, and so was I! I did all I could think of - ran the shower with hot water to get some steam going, and held his face over the steam. I honestly have no idea what Julia was doing at the time, and she is usually pretty "needy". I thank God for so many things that day, including keeping me at least somewhat calm and keeping the baby occupied and unhurt while I cared for Samuel!
As soon as I got Samuel to a point where I felt he could breathe without coughing (he still couldn't talk, though), I called the doctor's office where they put the on-call nurse on the phone. She immediately scheduled Samuel to see our doctor just as soon as we could get in. Another praise . . . it takes 45 minutes to get to our pediatrician's office, and I got dressed, took Julia to a friend's house, picked up David from work, and got to the office within an hour!
By the time we got to the doctor's office, Samuel was only wheezing every few breaths. It was at that point that we remembered the episode one month earlier, and I actually remembered at least one other time where Samuel had wheezed and coughed and broken out in hives. I had completely dismissed that and forgotten until we were at the dr's that day. He sent us home with a nebulizer, some epipens, and steroids, and scheduled us to see an allergist. He told us there is usually a link between the breathing issues and what he labled as "severe eczema".
Never would we have guessed before July 18th that we have such a "sick" little boy! We are so thankful that God has kept him safe thus far and has provided with each subsequent outbreak of hives and wheezing the ability to get help/relief within minutes. I will continue this story in a second post with the test results from August and how we've dealt with Samuel's issues since then!
Samuel was born in '09 a healthy little boy. We couldn't have been happier. David and I have always been very healthy ourselves, only needing to visit the doctor once every few years , so we fully expected to have the same in our children. And I must interject right now before I really start, that I know there are so many people with much more difficult or severe conditions, but to us, this is huge!
People commented to us right from the start that Samuel was a heavy breather. I can't count how many times others would ask me if he was okay because he was breathing so loudly! When Samuel was about 9 months old, he had RSV. We put him on a nebulizer for a few weeks and he seemed fine. He also had unusually dry skin. Not a big problem to us.
Fast forward to this past summer. June 18, 2011. We had Julia's first birthday party and spent hours outside where the kids ran through the grass and got very hot! My parents and my in-laws became very concerned when Samuel was breathing heavily. Since this happened fairly often, David and I dismissed it for awhile. However, Samuel broke out in hives all over and we knew something was wrong. Not knowing really what else to do, we gave him some Benadryl and used hydrocortisone lotion, and he and David sat in the bedroom for the remainder of the afternoon working on calming down so he could breathe.
We still didn't think too much of the whole thing until exactly one month later. It was a routine morning at home, and Samuel had been "helping" me fold laundry. He had disobeyed somehow and I had given him a brief time-out in his room. At about 8:30 a.m. he started wheezing and coughing uncontrollably. His skin turned red again, and this time I knew something was definitely wrong. The worst feeling in the world is when your child can't breathe and you have no idea what caused it or how to fix it! My 2-year-old baby was so panicked, and so was I! I did all I could think of - ran the shower with hot water to get some steam going, and held his face over the steam. I honestly have no idea what Julia was doing at the time, and she is usually pretty "needy". I thank God for so many things that day, including keeping me at least somewhat calm and keeping the baby occupied and unhurt while I cared for Samuel!
As soon as I got Samuel to a point where I felt he could breathe without coughing (he still couldn't talk, though), I called the doctor's office where they put the on-call nurse on the phone. She immediately scheduled Samuel to see our doctor just as soon as we could get in. Another praise . . . it takes 45 minutes to get to our pediatrician's office, and I got dressed, took Julia to a friend's house, picked up David from work, and got to the office within an hour!
By the time we got to the doctor's office, Samuel was only wheezing every few breaths. It was at that point that we remembered the episode one month earlier, and I actually remembered at least one other time where Samuel had wheezed and coughed and broken out in hives. I had completely dismissed that and forgotten until we were at the dr's that day. He sent us home with a nebulizer, some epipens, and steroids, and scheduled us to see an allergist. He told us there is usually a link between the breathing issues and what he labled as "severe eczema".
Never would we have guessed before July 18th that we have such a "sick" little boy! We are so thankful that God has kept him safe thus far and has provided with each subsequent outbreak of hives and wheezing the ability to get help/relief within minutes. I will continue this story in a second post with the test results from August and how we've dealt with Samuel's issues since then!
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| Our sweet little cowboy!! |
Monday, February 13, 2012
Buffalo Sloppy Joes
Well, I finished the diet. I stuck with it for 6 days. Okay, not the full 6 . . . after breakfast on Saturday I was more than a little cranky, so David suggested that I call it quits a little early. Since he had bought me a block of blue cheese as an "I'm proud of you" type of gift, I needed to find a recipe to use it with in order to prevent myself from eating the entire block by myself. And I remembered this awesome recipe that I'd made once before. It made for an awesome Saturday night meal!
The first time I made it - this summer - I'm pretty certain I got it out of Taste of Home magazine. But for the life of me, I cannot find it in my collection! So I went searching the web and found the exact same recipe I'd used before on Rachael Ray's website.
Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Buffalo Sloppy Joes
First, chop all your veggies because once the meat starts to brown, the process goes pretty quickly.
Next, start browning the meat. After about 5 minutes, add the veggies to the pot and finish browning the meat while the veggies become tender.
After about 5-10 more minutes, add in the sauce mix you've made in another bowl.
Let it simmer for about 15 minutes or until you get the table set and everything else ready to go!
Spoon your buffalo joes up onto buns, top with crumbled blue cheese and chopped dill pickle. Serve with a salad and fries. YUMMY!!
Buffalo Sloppy Joes
2 lb. ground chicken or turkey (I actually used deer this time and it tasted the same!)
1 carrot, peeled and grated or chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
1/4-1/3 c. hot sauce, such as Frank's Red Hot or Louisiana Hot Sauce
1 c. tomato sauce
1 c. chicken broth or water
blue cheese, crumbled
2 large dill pickles, chopped
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add meat and break it up with a spoon; cook 5-6 minutes. Add in carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper if desired, cook 7-8 minutes more. In a bowl, combine the vinegar, sugar, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, tomato sauce, and broth or water. Pour into the pan and stir. Simmer a few minutes more. Serve on buns with blue cheese crumbles and chopped dill pickles.
The first time I made it - this summer - I'm pretty certain I got it out of Taste of Home magazine. But for the life of me, I cannot find it in my collection! So I went searching the web and found the exact same recipe I'd used before on Rachael Ray's website.
Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Buffalo Sloppy Joes
First, chop all your veggies because once the meat starts to brown, the process goes pretty quickly.
Buffalo Sloppy Joes
2 lb. ground chicken or turkey (I actually used deer this time and it tasted the same!)
1 carrot, peeled and grated or chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
1/4-1/3 c. hot sauce, such as Frank's Red Hot or Louisiana Hot Sauce
1 c. tomato sauce
1 c. chicken broth or water
blue cheese, crumbled
2 large dill pickles, chopped
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add meat and break it up with a spoon; cook 5-6 minutes. Add in carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper if desired, cook 7-8 minutes more. In a bowl, combine the vinegar, sugar, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, tomato sauce, and broth or water. Pour into the pan and stir. Simmer a few minutes more. Serve on buns with blue cheese crumbles and chopped dill pickles.
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| Here's what we did with the leftovers - pizza crust, ranch dressing, slopppy joe mix, cheddar cheese, blue cheese, pickles. Sloppy Joe Pizza! |
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Caffeine and a 6-year-old
I will put this out there right now: I never have, nor do I ever plan on, watching the show Toddlers and Tiaras. I'm sure there is plenty of controversy out there over the show itself. I watched an interview today on Good Morning America, though, with the little girl named Alana, and I was outraged about her situation.
Alana's mom has made her something called "Go Go Juice", a concoction of Mt. Dew and Red Bull. How disgusting! Not just the mix itself, but the idea of it! David and I drink coffee and tea, and the occasional Pepsi product. We even let our children have a few sips. But shoving this "juice" down your child's throat? Completely uncalled for.
My first beef is that caffeine is proven, in large amounts, to seriously affect the developing brain of a child. Why put your child through that and risk her life for a walk down a runway? Second, one of my pet peeves is kids who say, "I'm hyper! This or that made me hyper!" What a terrible thing, when a parent gives his or her child an excuse for bad behavior. That is exactly what happened with Alana and her mother. Alana didn't come up with the word "hyper", and I question whether she even has any extra energy, or if her mother fed her that line, too. Alana hears, so Alana does.
The last thing that had me quite enfuriated was watching little Alana squeeze her baby fat on her tummy as if it were some sort of prize. The girl is tiny - she's allowed to have some pudge! But for her mom to tell her it's something to be proud of, and for Alana to make a big deal out of it, is extremely unhealthy. I don't think a 6-year-old would know she had to have the "got it, flaunt it" mentality if someone didn't tell her that.
This may not have made a lick of sense. I certainly don't plan to vent over such topics on a regular basis, but this one just got me going! I certainly hope that when others see our daughter, they don't see a "hyperactive is the way to get the spotlight" kind of girl, but rather a quiet, sensitive, and sweet spirit. May God help us to raise her (and our son) to glorify Him and rely on Him for strength rather than caffeine or any other kind of drug!
Alana's mom has made her something called "Go Go Juice", a concoction of Mt. Dew and Red Bull. How disgusting! Not just the mix itself, but the idea of it! David and I drink coffee and tea, and the occasional Pepsi product. We even let our children have a few sips. But shoving this "juice" down your child's throat? Completely uncalled for.
My first beef is that caffeine is proven, in large amounts, to seriously affect the developing brain of a child. Why put your child through that and risk her life for a walk down a runway? Second, one of my pet peeves is kids who say, "I'm hyper! This or that made me hyper!" What a terrible thing, when a parent gives his or her child an excuse for bad behavior. That is exactly what happened with Alana and her mother. Alana didn't come up with the word "hyper", and I question whether she even has any extra energy, or if her mother fed her that line, too. Alana hears, so Alana does.
The last thing that had me quite enfuriated was watching little Alana squeeze her baby fat on her tummy as if it were some sort of prize. The girl is tiny - she's allowed to have some pudge! But for her mom to tell her it's something to be proud of, and for Alana to make a big deal out of it, is extremely unhealthy. I don't think a 6-year-old would know she had to have the "got it, flaunt it" mentality if someone didn't tell her that.
This may not have made a lick of sense. I certainly don't plan to vent over such topics on a regular basis, but this one just got me going! I certainly hope that when others see our daughter, they don't see a "hyperactive is the way to get the spotlight" kind of girl, but rather a quiet, sensitive, and sweet spirit. May God help us to raise her (and our son) to glorify Him and rely on Him for strength rather than caffeine or any other kind of drug!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Hello, Cabbage!
Ever heard of the Cabbage Soup Diet? I certainly hadn't - not until last Wednesday when my friend Amy told me she was in the middle of it.
I did some research here and downloaded this gal's free ebook, and decided I should try it. Normally, I am not a "diet" kind of person, but this one is different. It's a 7-day course, and you can actually eat during it!
Now, a little background. I don't totally and completely blame the situation . . . but David was working at McDonald's to generate a little extra income during the summer, and BAM! I gained 10 pounds. Yes, me. Not him. Who could resist those free burgers and shakes because her husband was "employee of the week" every week for 2 months straight?? (Never mind he was one of the only people who actually worked for 2 months straight!)
And then came Halloween. Should 2 toddlers really eat so much candy? I think not. And Thanksgiving. Which launches itself directly into Christmas and New Year's. I think you get the picture. Our New Year's resolution was for our family to eat healthier, with less sugar and more natural foods. I've been having trouble getting rid of my cravings, though, and needed a boost. A little "detox".
This is why I've started the Cabbage Soup Diet. I'm on day 2 and things are going pretty well! Yesterday I made my soup in 2 pots and made one spicy while leaving the other plain for experimenting with different spices such as cumin and curry powder.
Yeah, that's a big stir-fry using cooking spray, and then I made a sauce with water and a whole bunch of spices. Y-U-M!! Add a little ice water with a splash of cranberry juice and lime, and you've got a meal!
So, 2 days (almost) down, and 5 more to go . . . I tend not to follow through with things, but I've made a commitment and I'm going to do this! I can't believe how much more energy I have today than usual, I think largely because I haven't had sugar now for about 48 hours. We'll see how the rest of the week pans out, but my hope is to end it feeling much less of a need for those things that should be "sometimes" foods.
Then I'll be free to get back to watching Rachael Ray and reading my beloved Taste of Home, and hopefully I'll have some awesome, budget-friendly meals to share with you all!
I did some research here and downloaded this gal's free ebook, and decided I should try it. Normally, I am not a "diet" kind of person, but this one is different. It's a 7-day course, and you can actually eat during it!
Now, a little background. I don't totally and completely blame the situation . . . but David was working at McDonald's to generate a little extra income during the summer, and BAM! I gained 10 pounds. Yes, me. Not him. Who could resist those free burgers and shakes because her husband was "employee of the week" every week for 2 months straight?? (Never mind he was one of the only people who actually worked for 2 months straight!)
And then came Halloween. Should 2 toddlers really eat so much candy? I think not. And Thanksgiving. Which launches itself directly into Christmas and New Year's. I think you get the picture. Our New Year's resolution was for our family to eat healthier, with less sugar and more natural foods. I've been having trouble getting rid of my cravings, though, and needed a boost. A little "detox".
This is why I've started the Cabbage Soup Diet. I'm on day 2 and things are going pretty well! Yesterday I made my soup in 2 pots and made one spicy while leaving the other plain for experimenting with different spices such as cumin and curry powder.
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| Regular Pot of Soup |
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| Spicy Pot of Soup |
I have to admit, I was not thrilled about Day One because it's soup and fruit only. I am not a fruit kind of girl, unless it's, y'know, inside a pie or a cobbler! But an apple, some grapes, and some frozen strawberries plus 4 bowls of soup, and I made it just fine. Today is going much better. It's veggie day! Who wouldn't enjoy this for lunch??
So, 2 days (almost) down, and 5 more to go . . . I tend not to follow through with things, but I've made a commitment and I'm going to do this! I can't believe how much more energy I have today than usual, I think largely because I haven't had sugar now for about 48 hours. We'll see how the rest of the week pans out, but my hope is to end it feeling much less of a need for those things that should be "sometimes" foods.
Then I'll be free to get back to watching Rachael Ray and reading my beloved Taste of Home, and hopefully I'll have some awesome, budget-friendly meals to share with you all!
Monday, February 6, 2012
A Welcome Change in Plans
Two years ago I started out as an educational consultant for Discovery Toys, and I worked pretty hard at it the last year. However, after taking the Financial Peace Univeristy course last year and giving it plenty of prayer, David and I have made a commitment to God and to our family: we are going to do all that we can to be debt-free aside from our mortage within the next year.
Because of this, I am no longer actively pursuing Discovery Toys, though if you need something, please contact me and I can definitely still get it for you! David suggested that we start a blog for our family and we thought, we may as well use this one we already have. After all, we are definitely DISCOVERING LIFE right now!!
So if you were following this blog for DT only, I'm afraid you're not going to find much that interests you in that regard. I do hope you'll continue to follow, though, to read about and maybe even share your own stories in living a frugal, fun-filled, blessed life!
Just to get it out there, here are the topics I'll likely share:
-Eating healthy, whole foods more often than ever before
-Dealing with allergies in our son and what we're changing to help him cope
-Frugal living - tips, deals, recipes, etc.
-We'll see where this goes from there!
Happy Monday, everyone!
Because of this, I am no longer actively pursuing Discovery Toys, though if you need something, please contact me and I can definitely still get it for you! David suggested that we start a blog for our family and we thought, we may as well use this one we already have. After all, we are definitely DISCOVERING LIFE right now!!
So if you were following this blog for DT only, I'm afraid you're not going to find much that interests you in that regard. I do hope you'll continue to follow, though, to read about and maybe even share your own stories in living a frugal, fun-filled, blessed life!
Just to get it out there, here are the topics I'll likely share:
-Eating healthy, whole foods more often than ever before
-Dealing with allergies in our son and what we're changing to help him cope
-Frugal living - tips, deals, recipes, etc.
-We'll see where this goes from there!
Happy Monday, everyone!
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