I haven’t blogged in a bit. Truly, it just hasn’t been on my mind, Etsy either, or all the school stuff, etc. I think I just needed a moment to just “Pause, relax … breathe!”
I sometimes feel ahhh – 🤯, life just has it’s way at times. There are five (5) of us in this little family of ours 💗 and I absolutely love it, but it is indeed busy. As you have read I am a Stay-at-Home-Mommy, so we take on even more than we once did! Which, honestly I do love our schedules, our to-do’s, our roles, and our busyness, but I just get to a point, at times, where I am 🤯 … Where I need a minute, a minute to think, a minute to breathe, and a minute to pause!
and this last month I am over here thinking that I am almost forty (40) years old and I am truly shocked over this, like where did the last ten (10) years go? This is the first time (where my age), has me feeling a little down too. I am not sure why? I think it’s just because those new beginnings of all are now just in the next chapters in life (which is awesome too and such a blessing) but much that was new, like graduations, buying our first home, getting engaged, planning a wedding, then getting married, our friends’ weddings, getting pregnant, having babies, nursing them, promotions, buying our family home, promotions again, and so forth. All the “news” are now in the next phase of different “news,” (which as I am writing) that’s pretty darn exciting too!!! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
All since, my early twenties (20’s), has just been super busy, exciting and like I said, “new.” It’s had its moments of stress too, but over all it’s been enjoyable. So, I want to do it again, and on repeat! HaHa! 🤣 I mean, I look back with the awe factor often …
Someone asked (family of course) why do you care about turning forty (40)? … I said, “It isn’t the number exactly, part of me is like WOW (in a good way), look where you are, at almost forty (40) years old, like my accomplishments, my family and their accomplishments, the goals that I have checked off ☑️, etc.
For me, it’s more about the aches and the pains, that take longer to heal at times. It’s the working out soreness that is just a bit different, lotions that are now needed, it’s the finding out all of this info. like don’t use that, don’t eat that bc it causes this or that, hydration is even more important now, it’s politics, and the opinions, the woes of adult life … and other not so great news of loved ones that we now hear too! 🙏🏼
I am just writing, but as I am writing I feel a little bit better (see blogging, helps ☑️) because “You’ll never be any younger than you are today!” and “Today is the first day of the rest of your life!”
So I am going to continue, continue in trying. I will try to read more and try to do my skincare more, and “try” to remember to schedule in self care, like nails or facials … do SOMETHING for me more!!! (I am sooo bad at this, especially since becoming a Mama.) I am going to try to continue in my runs, my work-outs and my over all healthy eating (I just feel better when eating better!) and working out (is for me I guess) but it is indeed “work!” 😉🤣😬 I am also going to try and give myself and others a little more grace!!! 🙏🏼😉💗
Also, love a “new beginning” on happier note that is … Not exactly a fan of change though, but starting new, starting fresh on a better path!
We don’t get out much “like just us two (2)” on dates and things like that … but My Hubby surprised me with an early anniversary date night the other night.
July 4th is actually our Wedding Anniversary, so Happy Anniversary to us! 🎆
but, for our date night, he took us to this super fabulous restaurant. It was a roof top restaurant with yummo delish food and we watched the sunset too. 🌅
It was a beautiful night indeed. We dressed up. I put some make-up on, I did my hair, and it was nice for both of us to just “be” for a few hours.
We smiled and we laughed, we held hands, we talked about our girls 💗💗💗 (of course.) We also discussed that we both know we need to do this more. We truly have to find the time to pencil in date nights more … (maybe every couple of months.) 😉
My besties have been telling me this for years and most recently one of them had a discussion with me on, “You need to fill your cup, he needs to too, you both need to fill your cup!!!” 😉🥰
I mean, since having babies we still can count on one hand how many times we have been on a “date night!” Don’t get me wrong we have been to weddings and in quite a few too, in the last eleven (11) years. Yes, our oldest little love 💗 is ELEVEN (11) years old, WOW – man time flies when you’re having fun!!!
Again though, what a fun night …
So, possible goals – plan on “dating” more again soon, maybe? 😉 …
I am a girl, who’s mind is always going. This year like I have said, has been NONSTOP!!! Actually, we picked up even more so, on our “busyness” during Covid. Crazy right?
It’s true though, my husband got promoted during Covid. Our girls were in school remote and took on Soccer ⚽️ in a whole new fashion because it was their only outside outlet. I was insanely busy with Scentsy and so forth …
It’s crazy looking back. Things began to open up, the schools opened up fully too. My husband was now “in person” at work due to him being an essential employee and we were trying to go back to some sort of normalcy.
So now, it is SUMMER ☀️🍉⛱ time, so we are home 💗💗💗 and all the pile up to-do’s that have been piling up, and piling up all school year long. Well, it’s time to tackle them! I am going to pause as I write this and say, “Give yourself a little grace because there is a lot to do, so take your time and don’t rush it!”
That ⬆️ is not easy for this Mama, but here goes … one thing at a time!
First up, craft/school room and check ☑️ at least it’s now cleaned out, organized and much was donated!
and the pantry ☑️
one of the closets ☑️
(there’s two (2) sides to these closets ⬇️, but we want to change out the doors and add some lights! 💗 So closet change-up to follow 😉)
Okay, taking a break today … It is Friday and our little loves 💗💗💗 want a pool day and a day to just relax. So, penciling this in, along with some haircuts too.
I am making progress though and you get the idea of what my goal is … 😉
So, let me discuss a little about mom life, or let me say, “parent life!” We try, and we try daily … No wait, actually it’s more like hourly.
Our girls 💗💗💗 they are indeed sweet girls, but they are still girls (which means emotional, for us) and they are also good kids, but again they are also still kids.
We raise them to have manners, be respectful, and we are currently teaching them to have confidence, be the bigger person when dealing with “the turkeys” in this life.
Yes, “turkeys” a co-worker told me this once, when I was dealing with quite a few turkeys myself while in the working world before babies. She explained how we deal with turkeys in life and then said, “don’t let the turkeys get you down!” 🤣😉
Well, currently, we are dealing with “turkeys” from every angle.
As are our little loves. 💗💗💗
Now, at the end of the day each situation is “small!” However, when dealing with “it” from this angle, and then this angle, and then this angle, and then this angle, etc. You get the picture!!! Currently, we are 🤯🤯🤯
I woke up early today (like before 5AM) because my husband is off to work super early. (There’s an event today,) but all was on my mind. I must have been dreaming about it?
It’s weird too, because I can tell certain people are backing away from us because they know something is up, but don’t know much because (we are private people.)
Which to be honest, is smart. Sometimes, you just need a breather to collect all of your thoughts …
I mean, we are calming down compared to a few weeks/months ago. We are starting to be able to process all, stay away from certain individuals, watch all a little clearer, understand a little more, but again although much is “small” … from all angles combined, “it feels big!” 🤔
I can honestly say that I have dealt with “turkeys” all of my life. So, I see it so clearly when our girls are telling me things. I get it too, it’s part of life, but it’s hard as a parent to teach your child, that this is how life is … they’re like, “but I am doing the right thing.” They’re playing their cards right, they’re being the bigger person, so they ask, “Why does this person get this or get that, when they’re not doing the right thing!” 🤷🏻♀️
It’s sad, and I think that’s where I am at … it is just SAD!!!
I get it, we all want our kids to shine, but they shouldn’t shine when they are being a turkey in this life and to be honest, we all know, that they sometimes still do!
What we tell our girls … “It doesn’t matter, it won’t work in the end, because God 🙏🏼 is always watching, so always remember that!”
I remember years ago, especially as a new mommy. The “real” to-do list began!!!
Now, listen there was always a “to-do list.” However, the overwhelming-ness that attached to it, definitely increased once you became a parent. Along with the NOW factor!
I know we all have our things, our schedules, but then we add in our house things, parent things, and your kiddies’ schedules, sports ⚽️.
My lanta!!! – right!!! lol
Now me, I am type-A, a perfectionist type of a gal, but let’s just say “HOT MESS!” That’s how I feel most days!!! I found a way to embrace this “Hot Mess” too! Which, meant that my hair would not always be done, my make-up would not always be on …
Yes, I would wear sweatpants, leggings , and work-out clothes as my “SAHM mom fashion!” 🤷🏻♀️🤣🤷🏻♀️
However, the to-do list, it is non stop in this house. I mean I am a SAHM, and the “to-do list” never ends. I drink my coffee in the AM and when I can, I will blog. Which is what I am doing at the moment. I am actually at the car garage because I have to get a new tire and then after, I need to run out and get some things for the house and for our girls. 💗💗💗
Like “all,” we try to just manage. As we know, “the things” will always be there, and always need to get done. We also know, we are not alone. I mean I talk to parents, mom friends, our friends, family and it seems to be the norm for all.
I look at our schedule though … and it has been a “My Lanta moment” most recently!!! 🤷🏻♀️😉🤣
My husband though, is more of a calm, let’s just do and get it done, check off ☑️ the to-do list kind of guy. Where due to my type-A, perfectionist personality, things like a “to-do list” can overwhelm me at times! 😬
I had a talk with one of my dearest the other day and she truly brought much to light for me. We were just talking about life and the simplicity of being in our twenties (20’s), before babies. She said, “In the busyness, we also need to fill our cup.” This was an “ahh moment!” for me. It is something that seems so simple, but to me/us, we often forget this.
Ohhh to fill our cups, okay how to pencil this in too? That’s truly how my husband and I think, to go on a date night, out to eat, away for the night … Without kids, Ha!!! Yeah, nope!!!
Bringing it back to “cozy” … after all, my new blog is called “Cozy Styling” and like I said in previous blogs/posts, “I think we all need to find that cozy in life, from time to time.”
Oh and Happy Friday!!! – now this is Cozy, well, later tonight that is … all at home, eating yummy food, playing games, maybe a cup of hot tea. ☕️
So, what is your cozy?”
Okay, so if you follow me in my IG story posting, Scentsy posting, blog posting … I am a pinterest gal. To be honest, a good amount of my ideas, stem from Pinterest. I’d love to sharpen my photography 📸 skills too, so I can add to my now pinning and blogging, … but there’s only sooo many hours ⏰ in the day 🤷🏻♀️
On many mornings, I wake up and before my coffee, I find a coffee stock photo on pinterest, to post onto my Scentsy page.
A little of what catches my eye or grabs my attention. Fitness pictures, Healthy foods, Posts on Faith, Coffee photos (but ironically don’t “love” coffee 🤷🏻♀️ only in the mornings.) Fashion, cozy fashion in the winter, even in the summer, and just cute fashionable things. Nail pictures, I love my nails painted, but DISLIKE getting my nails done 🤣 (this is a new thing I now “know,” but the piggies love them painted and love a pedicure too.)
More on cozy … facials are another new thing, loving at home facials or scheduling one at a salon or spa.
I love, like looovvveee organization. It’s interesting (and my husband often jokes about this) nothing like a clean house, my bed made, angles, a new comforter, an organized pantry, a new journal/planner, etc. just looovvveee!!!
Speaking of journals, I love notebooks, odd yes 🤣 but I do … nothing like a fresh notebook, journal or planner! 🙂
and loving leopard, WHAT!!! … what happened? I am now loving leopard too. 🐆
Just a little of this and a little of that on this Friday, time to get some errands done! ☑️
Okay … eating for “nutrition” is not as easy as one would think! 🤔
This may sound crazy, but making sure you are eating enough … for some of us, this is difficult in itself. I mean us ladies, since we were teens, have been influenced by the “world” (for lack of better words), and on average, have been watching what we eat, watching our weight, or watching how we look for most of our lives!
This is not all of us, but probably many of us …
So, to actually have an education and knowledge on what food is, when it comes to our health, what nutrition is, that foods can cause inflammation, etc. 🤷🏻♀️ Huh??? 🤔
My lanta!!! ✨✨✨
When I was younger (like middle school age) I remember having a convo. with this High School boy, who was into fitness. He was a football player, drinking fitness shakes, lifting and all the things. I was like, “Guess what “so and so”, I only ate a Snickers all day today!” 🤣 All proud of myself – lol … he said, “Well, I’d eat a little more than that, and next time when you do eat, especially if only one thing all day 🙄 which I don’t recommend. Focus on something a little healthier!”
I was like, “Oh!” 😬 and a little embarrassed 😳 I was thirteen (13) years old at the time, and he was eighteen (18) years old, and he just graduated from High School! (So, he was cool!) 🤣 He was right though … like really, starve yourself and then pick a snickers to eat! 🤷🏻♀️
Side note – This boy and I were friends and penpals for awhile, after this Summer. There was a group of us that hung out during our Summers up at a Country Club on a golf course in Idaho. We all met up every Summer. (I spent my Summers with my grandparents in Idaho as a kid, which my Idaho Summers is another blog for another time), so to be continued … but my Idaho Summers were indeed wonderful! 💗
Idaho – Golf Course
Back to nutrition, (as I think back to my relationship with food.) I would like to think that I learned earlier, that eating only this or that all day long, was not okay. However, I did not! I would sometimes tell myself (during those college years, to be exact) “You haven’t eaten all day, so you can have Wendy’s tonight!” 🤷🏻♀️ (something I wouldn’t even consider eating now, especially since being gluten free!)
I did this more often than I would like to admit. I never counted calories per-say, but food was … something I limited to like a meal a day, here and there. Once I was thinner (I was always thin, but didn’t see this as a teen) … but again, once I was thinner, and was told by others that I was skinny. I liked hearing it, so I knew basically what to eat and what not to eat.
Food was never about nutrition for me, at this time in my life. I was a college kid, so food was something I would eat, when I was hungry and not eat when I wanted to lose five (5) pounds. Just being honest! 🤷🏻♀️
When I met my husband (the Summer before my senior year of college) I was weighing in like the nineties (90’s.) I had a problem at this point though, I ate very little and was okay with being “skinny.” He’d take me out to eat constantly when we first met. We were friends for like six (6) months before dating, 🥰 but if I wanted mozzarella cheese fries, he’d say, “okay let’s go!” lol 🥰
I remember my grandma calling me one day too, and checking in on me. I remember it vividly too, (I was sitting in my bedroom on my desk chair in my roomies and my rented town house at the time), and she said, “Be careful Jennifer, what you are doing to your body now … it may not effect you now, in your twenties, but it will effect you by your thirties!”
I now look back, and often say, “hmmm, was she right?” 🤔 I mean, after our first little love was born, I was in my late twenties (20’s) and this was when I realized I had an intolerance to gluten, and the possibility of celiac disease? As I had my next baby, I now had a food allergy to citrus too and many other things were now going on …
In a previous blog, I was discussing “female things” and after talking with a girlfriend who has had similar issues to what I dealt with and am dealing with, she was telling me how she fixed her issues with Nutrition. She said, “After talking with a Nutritionist, she never realized that food is like medicine too for many (if not ALL of us!) So, this got me thinking 🤔
I actually went home after we talked, (this was before my Doctor’s Appointment) and started researching, much about this topic and I am actually considering, taking a few Nutrition Classes now … (yeah, I know, where would I fit this in?)
In my little research that I have done already, and after talking with a Nutritionist too. Females need certain things, (especially when it comes to Hormonal Health!) Now, you may say, “Well, I am fine and so and so is always on a diet, doing this and that, and they’re fine!” What I say to that, “That may be true, and that’s great for them, but we all are wired differently!” For example, my body may need more folic acid or more healthy fats, and if I am confirmed Celiac (already know I have a gluten intolerance) then my body wasn’t absorbing certain nutrients for years while eating food in general! Especially, when not eating the “right” foods!
I am a smaller framed female (5’2”, wear an xsm/sm), and it took me becoming a mommy to realize this too … I no longer limit myself when it comes to food, but I think I did and may even still do, in some ways subconsciously. Like, I will stop myself from eating this or that, overeating is a no, mainly because I don’t like the feeling of being super full and have had digestive issues, off and on for years. I on average choose not to eat certain sweets, no to diet beverages too. Then I wouldn’t eat all day, but use to eat snickers and candy saying to myself, “It’s okay, you can eat this, since you didn’t eat anything today!” (I do like candy, but eating just sugar as my food intake, not good!) 🤷🏻♀️
This was years ago though (before Covid actually!) No longer do this …
I am also a person who’s not always a breakfast eater. There’s hungry days though and these days, I no longer ignore. So, if my body is craving extra food, I now EAT! You, see during my research, your body will often crave things, when it needs something. If you know me, I am a gal who has ALWAYS craved things. Random things too, like a cheese burger, a milk shake, mozzarella, etc. I have learned to give into my cravings more now, compared to only when I am PMS-ing and pregnant.
Some of the things I have found in my research relating to hormonal health. Drink Matcha tea and green tea more. I am consciously trying to eat 1/4-to a whole avocado daily. 🥑 Females, NEED healthy fats, especially for hormonal health. Red meat, (okay, don’t really eat it), but for hormonal health red meat is “inflammatory,” so like I love tacos, we eat them weekly. Taco Tuesday in this house, so I’d eat red meat when eating tacos. However, now, I consciously will make ground turkey for tacos, especially for me!
I won’t say that I will not EAT red meat ever again, I just try not to eat it “often.” Also, I am now eating more plant foods, you know fruits and VEGGIES, eating more fish, certain proteins, etc. I am gluten free already, so paying attention is easier compared to years ago, when going gluten free. Like I do need carbs, so I’ll make rice (often), a gluten free pasta or I will eat some gluten free pretzels. Especially, if my body is craving carbs. Sugar I’ll even crave at times, ever so often, so I listen and grab a Hershey kiss, a small Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup or something little.
HYDRATION is also a thing and it’s a HUGE thing!!! Hydration, is a whole other blog post 🤣 so to be continued on that … but I am trying!!!
There’s so much to “Nutrition” when it comes to foods, so I am going to see if it helps? 🤷🏻♀️
So, I am not that gal who was ever a “fitness person.” I mean, I remember wanting to be and even trying to be (at times), but it was not exactly in my make-up, and it was not exactly my “thing.” 🤷🏻♀️
– I think my 7th Grade Track Tryout scared me out of “fitness” and “sports” to be honest 🤣 I remember doing sprints at this tryout, and whatever else, etc. with no training what so ever, and my lanta, to my times …
I am just going to leave this memory right here! – lol 🤣
At the end of middle school though, I now wanted to be a cheerleader, (after cheering for a township team and coaching little ones too, I enjoyed it.) So, now in High School, I tried out for Cheerleading. As a Freshman, I was only allowed to make the Freshman Squad because we were on Staggered Sessions at the time, (due to the school being over crowded and another High School being built.)
Only two (2) Freshman were super skilled enough actually, and they did make Varsity Cheer, but that was it. So, I made the Freshman Team. Then I tried out at the end of my Freshman year and I made Varsity Cheerleading. 🤗 Which I was super excited about, considering I had little to no experience in Cheer!
I remember walking with one of my guy besties, at the end of the school day and he telling me, “You made the team, no stressing.” Walking to the team’s list, I was super nervous, but seeing my number on that list was the BEST feeling EVER, as I jumped into his arms with pure excitement. He said, “I told you so!” …
So, looking back, as a kid, I was a cheerleader and a dance kind of gal. It was just more my speed. 😉
So, when did I get into fitness? (Fitness for me became running.) At the age of twenty-six (26) years old, I was married for about a year and my husband and I decided to quit smoking. (I smoked during those college years and a few years after), so now married, we both decided, no more smoking! 🙏🏼
So, one (1) day, after gaining like ten (10lbs.) 😬 I decided, that’s it, it’s time to run. (I guess it’s true, you gain weight after quitting smoking.) 🤷🏻♀️ So, I came home from work, got changed into my work-out clothes, and I went out for a run.
I was feeling crappy on this day too, because I had my period. However, I still decided to go out for a run. (I mean runners always made it look so easy, so how hard can it be? Let me pause … it is NOT easy, at all!) and as I was running, I told myself, “If you can run a mile today, then you can run a mile any day.” 😉
– In my head, I was like, you are feeling crappy and crampy, bloated, have a slight head ache, and have never ran a mile, etc. So, if you run a mile today, then you will know, you can now run a mile on any day …
Well, I did it! I ran my FIRST MILE and to be honest, I was pretty impressed with myself too.
Dainty me, actually just ran her first mile! 🤗
I ran here and there for the next year. I would head out and go for my run, running a mile 🤣, but that mile, “to me,” was now running. Then we found out we were expecting our first little love. 💗
After she was born, I ran a few miles ever so often, then found out we were expecting our 2nd little love. 💗
Now a mama to two (2) little loves, running was no longer something I thought about. We found out we were expecting our 3rd little love 💗 as we were in search for our family home. So, now a mama to three (3) little loves, I would run here and there, but not as often as I did before babies.
So, when did “actual fitness” become a thing? Well, after I was at a few Doctor’s Appointments, both said similar things to me and it got me thinking. 🤔 They both said, “For a smaller sized woman, who appears fit you have a higher resting heart rate!” Now, they both said to me, it’s not alarming “yet” but they both were surprised by it! So, I told my husband this, and I said, “I want to start-up cardio. See if this will help my resting heart rate?” and we got me an apple iwatch, to track my heart rate too. My husband ended up buying a treadmill for us also, now that we were in our new family home.
This was when my 5K running began. 😉
I started running a mile, then pausing, then running another mile , then pausing, and finishing it out, ending a little over three (3) miles. I eventually stopped with the pausing and just ran three (3) miles. My resting heart rate which was in the nineties (90’s) ended up getting into the sixties (60’s) and at times fifties (50’s.)
I actually ended up pushing myself too hard in the world of running and fitness, causing a minor case of hypotension where my blood pressure would drop to like 80’s/50’s … So, after visiting with my Doctor, her explaining my dizzy spells and all else to me, I took it easier and I began Target Heart Rate training.
Target Heart Rate training was not easy. My goal as a runner was to get my times lower, so that meant pushing myself to run faster, when running on a treadmill. I actually got my mile into the almost seven (7’s.) However, now that I was Target Heart Rate training, my mile was back in the twelves (12’s) again!
This was super frustrating to run this slow, but it was now about health and the slow running, didn’t last super long. I eventually got my mile into the nines (9’s) again, and it’s still in the nines (9’s.) I think the more I stick with running consistently, I’ll get faster too … maybe? 🤷🏻♀️
However, life is busy, so I often take breaks. So, I seem to stay where I am at because I take breaks and then start up running again, take breaks and then start up running again.
In the mix of Covid, I actually took up running outside. 😉 Looovvveee outside running, and it’s sooo different compared to the treadmill. (You runners will say, YEAH it is!) Like my mile inside is in the nines (9’s) and outside it “was” in like the twelves (12’s.)
Right now, when I run outside, I am going back and forth with it being in the nines (9’s), tens (10’s), and the elevens (11’s.) So, yes, getting faster!
In my defense … I just started up running again, about a month ago. 😉
My goal is to get my mile, into the nines (9’s) consistently when running outside by the end of the Summer and to eventually sign-up for an actual 5K too! 😉
So, to be continued … and in conclusion, nothing like that first mile!!! 🥰
Okay, I am trying, I am … I am trying to drink more water. Hydration is key and “OH!” to the times of me being dehydrated! I was on average drinking maybe 8-20 ounces of water, a day. Now, my goal is to drink 50-60 ounces daily.
I am on week two (2) or maybe three (3) 🤔, I believe. I can do this and stick with this too! 😉 To be honest, I start this up and I do good for about a week, but then I usually stop. So, trying to stick with it this time …
I was told by many that you are to drink half of your body weight in ounces.
That to me, I was like, there is NO WAY I can drink that much WATER daily! Where my husband drinks like a gallon of water daily. Drinking a good amount of water, just isn’t as easy as one would think? 🤔 Especially, if you are not use to it (like me.)
Here was my normal daily routine of drinking beverages. I would wake-up and drink my morning coffee, and then I may sip on water here and there. Then I would have a cup of hot tea in the afternoon, then I finally would drink water with dinner and before bed. So, I was drinking fluids, but WATER, not so much. So, I am consciously trying to drink 30 ounces of water before 12:00 noon and then the next 30 ounces before sleepy time.
I keep reminding myself (so I stay motivated), that you are flushing out toxins!!! Try it, it helps … 🤷🏻♀️😉
You see, in the last ten (10) years I have learned much about my body, more in regards to my health and how my body responds to certain things, like food. I mean, once our first little love was six (6) months old … (on Christmas Eve to be exact.) We were leaving a family party and my mouth was suddenly in pain. I initially thought, I must have burned my mouth on something. As the days, weeks, months progressed, the pain intensified!
My tongue was sooo sore and my mouth would always have canker sores and this was only one (1) of my new found issues/symptoms. However, it was one of the WORST too. I also had joint pain, fibromyalgia pain, GI issues, weird anxiety, a rash on my upper arms, etc. I thought for awhile, (and certain Doctors confirmed) it was hormonal , postpartum … after all I just had a baby. 🤷🏻♀️
Today, I am gluten free and labeled “Undiagnosed Celiac.” Mainly because I just get too sick from gluten, and I can’t eat it long enough to be tested. (To be honest, I no longer need to be told I have Celiac Disease.) I tried a few years back to go through testing, (per my Doctor.) First step, was to go on a gluten challenge. I made it to only, day three (3), goal was to eat gluten for twenty-one (21) days. 😬 After dealing with pain, (fetal position pain) off and on for over 24 hours and ongoing GI issues, my Doctor said to stop eating gluten. When I went into the Doctor’s office, he said, “Clearly gluten is no good for you, so DO NOT eat it! Listen to your body, and if you need a diagnosis … I am diagnosing you with Undiagnosed Celiac!”
I also have a family history of Celiac Disease, Crohn’s Disease, Diverticulitis, Thyroid Disease, etc. (which many or maybe all 🤷🏻♀️ are autoimmune) So, it was inevitable that I would end up with something at some point. I mean, I have been told that I have had many things, since I was a kid. I was diagnosed and placed into categories like IBS, Lactose Intolerant, Interstitial Cystitis, Keratosis Pilaris, etc. All come to find out, are are linked to Celiac Disease and can mimic or even cause these symptoms, and when I gave birth to our first little love, WOW to the symptoms!!! Hence the beginning of me, going gluten free. (When she was around eight (8) months old to be exact.) Then, I ended up pregnant again with our 2nd little love, when she was just ten (10) months old, so I stopped my gluten free diet per my OBGYN’s request. At the time I was deficient in certain vitamins too, so she put me on a prescription prenatal vitamin. She explained to me that eating gluten while pregnant, may be more beneficial to the baby and it may not bother you while pregnant too. She explained that staying gluten free while baby is in utero, could actually bring forth an allergy to baby earlier, if not exposed to gluten. So, I ate gluten (and it was delicious) and I was not bothered by it either. 🙏🏼 However, after our 2nd little love was born, WOW again to the symptoms. So, I officially went gluten free when she was just a few months old and I have been gluten free ever since.
I tried to eat gluten again while pregnant with our 3rd little love, but at this point I no longer could, because it made me sick. More so with fibromyalgia pain, joint pains, tongue pain, canker sores, etc. and here’s the crazy thing too, our littlest love came out with Eczema and still has episodes of Eczema. So, could it be because she wasn’t exposed to gluten while in utero like my one OBGYN explained. 🤷🏻♀️🤔
I have been doing research too on different foods, plant based foods, avocados, red meat, protein, etc. Trying to figure all out. As I have been researching and looking into nutrition, as a whole. Foods are actually medicines for our body, so like “eating” is hugely important. Helps with so much from our sleep, anxiety, to hormonal health, etc.
I never looked at food this way, I looked at it as, “I am hungry, is it dinner time, okay eat!” or “I am NOT eating that!”
So, like I said, looking into nutrition more so now. As well as HYDRATION. Also, fitness, and getting back into it because I just feel better over all when I am working out. Trying to run more, walk the miles too, just basically loving cardio, but as we all know …adult life, parent life = busy life!
I started up Wellness Wednesdays, a few weeks ago. I wanted to try to take fifteen (15) minutes to an hour or more to do something for “myself”, like wash my hair, maybe a mani/pedi at home, facial, take a bubble bath, etc.
Just a moment to pause …
So, I had a “day of rest” yesterday for Wellness Wednesday. After a Doctor’s Appointment that went well on Tuesday, praise God. 🙏🏼 I said to myself, “Just relax today, take a bath, blog again and just be, and don’t feel guilty. You owe this to yourself!” 🙏🏼
You see … Mommy life, and life in general. I just often do not schedule in those little things that I once did for myself, before having babies. Life is just busy differently now, so things like hair and nails aren’t a constant anymore.
So, for example, I normally get my hair done maybe twice a year. (So here was the deal, I haven’t had a hair cut, gosh in like 6-9 months, maybe longer. I mean, I did get to the salon in October, to get a quick gloss because my hair was lighter over the Summer … Yes, I actually for the first time EVER was at the hair salon three (3) times over the Summer going lighter.) So, anyways, my roots were now like 2 inches long, so I decided to go back to brunette (and now, not sure if I’ll go blonder again this Summer. 🤷🏻♀️)
Now back to being busy, so I often will schedule a hair appointment and then cancel, schedule, then cancel. No worries though, I finally made an appointment and actually went too. Just wanted to get my hair cut and I ended up taking a good 4 inches off, maybe more 😉 so back to self care, I was actually getting my nails done for a few months in the fall, because I told myself, “You can do something little like this for yourself” … but now I am over that (not a surprise) so stopped with that all together because my nails just got too weak.
Wanted to explain something, I have never been “that” kind of girl. Who’s always at a salon. I just cannot sit at salons for hours 🤷🏻♀️ I think I am just too type A. 🤷🏻♀️ I mean I try, I do, I try, but then I am like okay, no! I don’t feel like sitting in here for an hour or more.
However, I do want to have moments (from time to time) of feeling pampered, so I love to get a pedi, and maybe I will start scheduling facials? I am trying to learn to go to the salons more … especially now that Covid is lifting. 🙏🏼 (we are praying that is … )
So maybe, I’ll schedule them in from time to time now, on Wellness Wednesdays. 😉
Cozy Styling 