Author Archives: Manda

Busy Weekend Was Busy

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Last weekend was a busy one, in a good way.

Friday Mike and I watched our 2 year old niece (I’ll just call her L on my blog) and not-even-a-year-old-yet nephew (who we’ll call R). Taking care of a toddler and baby is something that we haven’t done in ages. Raven is 17 years old so it’s been awhile. But it was actually pretty fun.

L watched 3 Disney movies (starting with Frozen, followed by Aristocats and then The Little Mermaid), made her own chocolate milk, ate pancakes for breakfast and scrambled eggs for lunch, tried to play with our 2 cats (she essentially just threw their toys at them), made us act out scenes from Frozen, colored, played with various toys she brought with her and explored our small home.

R was easy peasy. He didn’t fuss much, expect for a few seconds when he was tired but quickly feel asleep when I rocked him. He seemed content with either sitting on mine or Mike’s lap or having me hold him while I cooked. He was also amazed at the cats. He would just stare at them and then burst out laughing before babbling like crazy. I think he was trying to talk to them.

After they left, Mike and I ended up taking an hour nap before Raven came home from school. Even though both L and R were an absolute dream to watch, it sure did wear us out! I cannot wait for them to come back! But I need to remember to buy some coloring books (we already have an abundance of notebook paper and crayons) and maybe some kid-type crafts for me and L to do when she comes back over.

Saturday we were suppose to go to Audra State Park to swim with some friends. But it got canceled because of the weather. Ninty-percent chance of rain and thunderstorms. We are hoping to go this weekend. Instead, we went shopping for a birthday gift for our friend’s 2 year old son (who is another awesome kid) and just hung around the house. Sunday was the birthday party, which was fun and the cake was YUMMY, and afterward we just hung out and talked with more awesome people.

How was your weekend?

It’s September!

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What I’m Looking Forward To This Fall:

  • • Days with less humidity
  • • Pumpkin EVERYTHING!!! (yep, that deserved 3 exclamation marks)
  • • Leaves of a different color
  • • Long sleeve shirts
  • • Fall decorating
  • • Baking pumpkin bread and cookies
  • • Fright Farm
  • • Apple Butter Festival
  • • Halloween
  • • Did I mention PUMPKIN FLAVORED EVERYTHING!!!

 

What are you looking forward to this fall?

Just A Bunch of Ramblings

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I want to thank everyone who commented on my last post. Knowing I’m not the only one experiencing these feelings does help a bit. I also want to thank Kat for all her tips, which I will surely use in the future. This coming Monday I will be stepping, hesitantly of course, back on the scale. To say I won’t be scared/nervous would be a lie. I am actually terrified of the prospect of checking my weight and possibly seeing the number higher then I expected.

Ugh.

Anyway, I have caught the Autumn/Halloween bug. Last year, despite my lifelong love with Halloween, I just couldn’t get in the mood. This year is so much different. I have pinned all things Halloween on Pinterest and want to start decorating and baking everything Autumn and Halloween! Which is a bit odd because I feel less happy this year than last year. Last year around the same time, I felt like my life was under control and everything was looking up. This year, not so much. Things have just spiraled a little out of control, and I’m not confident in the things that I was starting to feel secure in. And the scariest part is that I don’t know if I will be able to get a handle on things. Or even if I really want to. Some days, it just seems so much easier to just let go then to try to fight.

Weight Issues

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I still haven’t step on the scale. It has been 2 weeks and I’m a bit scared to see what I actually weigh after not monitoring it for the entire amount of time. This is the longest I have gone without checking my weight. I think I’m going to wait another week and check it on Monday August 25. I so wish I didn’t have these weight/food issues. I would love to be able to eat whatever I want without gaining any weight or even feeling guilty about it.

When I was at my lowest weight (148 pounds) a few years ago, I didn’t enjoy it. I just kept thinking about how fat I was, how disgusting I looked. Now, I would give my left nut to be that weight. I would enjoy it. I would buy and wear those cute clothes that I refuse to wear now because I look like shit in them. I would flaunt around a bit (not much) and be happy with my body. Instead of feeling like I’m not good enough.

Le Sigh.

Maybe one day I can finally get back down to that weight. I am trying. I truly am. But it doesn’t seem like enough.

The Last First Day of School

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So today is Raven’s last first day of school. Of course there are going to be a few more first days in the future for college, but that’s not really the same. She has four different art classes this year (including AP art), which she is excited about since she is an artist and she is planning on majoring in Studio Art in college. Anyway, I didn’t take a picture in the morning before she left, but I did snap a few (despite or dislike for it) when she got off the bus.

I asked her how her first day was and she, of course, answered horrible as usually. She would much rather stay home and do her own thing then spend the day at school. But at least she has made straight A’s her entire school career (except for 1 B in Spanish when she was in middle school).

So Far So Good

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So, it’s now Friday morning and I have – so far – resisted the major urge to step on the scale. But despite the pull to check my weight, I feel pretty good. I think my face looks less bloated, or at least it seems that way to me. I have been avoiding snacking when I’m simply bored, which I tend to do a lot, and have increased the amount of exercising I do. Along with a short kickboxing routine, I have been trying to increase my steps to 10,000 a day. Despite those possibly positive aspects, I’m a bit worried about stepping back on the scale Monday morning. What if there is a gain? Then the little bit of positive feelings I have will go straight out the window. So there’s that.

Besides all the weight issues, I’m just trying to prepare for Raven’s last year of high school. Her first day of school is this coming Thursday. She has already gotten her senior vaccinations last week but still no new glasses. No place will take our new insurance that we were forced to get because of Obamacare. However, if nothing else, we will just pay out of pocket for the exam and glasses.

We also have to finish school supply/clothing shopping. We got most of the school clothing shopping done, but I would like for her to get a few more shirts and a new pair of shoes.

What about you? Are you ready for the upcoming school season?

Don’t Step on the Scale

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I am one of those people that immediately (after using the bathroom) weighs themselves every morning. In fact, I usually periodically weigh myself throughout the day. I know this is ridiculous and a big no-no since your weight fluctuates, but I just have an urge to step on the scale. Usually I feel horrible afterwards but sometimes, on those rare occasions when my weight drops a pound or two, I get ecstatic.

But this week it’s going to be different. I have vowed not to step on the scale until this coming Monday. And while I do still have the strong urge, I haven’t weighed myself since Saturday morning! Instead of focusing on a number this week, I’m going to focus on trying to make the right choices (no, I don’t need to grab a snack just because I’m bored) and exercising a bit more.

The exercising is difficult for me at the moment because I have just been feeling extremely tired. It’s not uncommon for me to be tired since I have iron deficiency anemia (had it since I was born, my body cannot hold on to iron like it should so I have like no iron in my body at all, which means I am always tired and could become jaundice and require a blood transfusion), but this past month it seems like I am even more tired than normal. No matter how much sleep I get, I am just worn out. But I’m trying to push through the tiredness and up the amount of movement I do during the day.

Catnip Tea: Homemade Recipe for your Kitties

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Nefarian has chronic UTIs — urinary tract infections — and since I have a hate for most veterinarians, I went searching for other options so we wouldn’t have to keep returning to the vets every month for antibiotics that just won’t work. During my search I found many wonderful tips to help keep his UTIs at bay, including giving him cranberry extract (which really does work).

One of things I found out is that cats are not big drinkers and usually don’t get enough water in their diet. And consuming the proper amount of water is key to stopping UTIs in their tracks. So we started to look for ways to increase Nefarian’s water intake. Most of the tips that I found were things we already do. They always have a bowl a fresh water in the kitchen and we add a bit of water to the bathtub because both him and Jedi like to drink water dripping from the bathtub faucet. They also mostly eat wet cat food but have a bit of hard cat food on the side.

One interesting tip I came across using catnip tea as a sorta treat for them that would also help up their water intake. Seeing how I already make my own tea from red clover, sage and various other herbs I grow, I was pretty excited to try it out for Nefarian and Jedi.

After trying it the first time and sharing the pictures on Facebook, I received many requests for the recipe. So I thought, why not write a blog post about it?

The entire process is easy peasy and fairly inexpensive. So far, I have made catnip tea 3 times for Nefarian and Jedi, and it has been a success every time. Keep in mind, however, that not all kitties react to catnip. Jedi is absolutely hooked on catnip and will only play with catnip-filled toys, while Nefarian enjoys licking his catnip kiss, drinking catnip tea and playing with catnip toys, he isn’t as “into” it as Jedi.

Catnip Tea Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon of dried or fresh catnip
  • 6 to 8 ounces of hot water
  • Teapot
  • Tea strainer or tea basket

Directions:

Step 1: Add your fresh or dried catnip to the basket or tea strainer. I have this cute little tea pot that has a built in basket. It works perfect for homemade loose leaf teas.

Step 2: Pour 6 to 8 ounces of hot — not boiling — water slowly over the catnip.

Step 3: Let the kitties inspect the process to ensure you are on the right track. This may or may not involve a paw.

Step 4: Let the tea sit for several hours. This might just be the hardest step. But Jedi is waiting somewhat patiently.

Step 5: Pour into bowls and enjoy!

Tips and Considerations: Make sure the tea is completely cooled before giving it to your kitties. You yourself can also consume some of the catnip tea. In fact, catnip tea has many health benefits for humans, including treating insomnia, anxiety and migraines.

Not a Happy Post

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With July almost gone and August fast approaching, I can honestly say things are a bit shitty at the moment. While my professional life is doing pretty well, my personal life is in the toilet and sometimes (like today) I wonder if I should even put any more effort into it when I know it’s going to end up being the SSDD.

Sorry about that not-so-happy part. Just had to get it out there.

Anywho, Raven starts back to school on the 14th of August. This is her last year of high school before college and there are so many things that need to be done. She has to get 2 shots before entering the 12th grade. It’s a relatively new law they passed and she isn’t happy about it. We also have to get her in to see her optometrist and go school supply/clothing shopping. Another thing to add to the list is that Raven wants to tour the college she is probably going to attend after high school before school starts so I have to make an appointment for that as well.

All these things I have to do and all I really want to do is lay in bed, watch Netflix and sleep. I hate these depressing moods.

Another New Theme! Yay?

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So, I have a new theme, as if you couldn’t tell. And I am still getting everything straightened out. If you notice anything a bit wonky, I would be extremely appreciative if you would let me know! Now, I’m going to take a break from my blog and bake some cookies.