I was that mom

Today I was that mom.

You know the one I'm talking about.

The mom who takes up the single stall bathroom for 20 minutes and all you can hear are screams and pleas on the other side of the door. (My child was screaming. I was pleading for her to use the potty and then come with us back out of the bathroom. It didn't go well)

The mom whose child collapsed on the floor inside and outside of the store(s), and who stood there completely stumped as to what to do to convince her 3 year old to get off the floor.

I was the mom whose child hiked up her dress to put on the brand new panties that she bought her right at the register. (There was a tiny trickle in the last pair and the pretty 3 year old refused to touch them so the mom had to buy new ones.)

I was the mom whose 3 year old screamed in the car for 30 minutes (yes THIRTY) because she didn't want to eat the chicken and fries that she begged for because a. they were in the wrong container and b. there was just not enough. 

The mom who had a child standing in the back of the cart through the entire store screaming. 

The mom who you thought might drop one of her children because she was carrying BOTH of them in her arms along with a shopping bag. 

The one whose baby had nothing but a diaper on in Target. (It was due to a major blow out diaper and missing spare clothing.)

I was that mom. I am that mom. I am not perfect. I do the best that I can and unfortunately, I did not have the luxury today of just driving 30 minutes back home without running my errands. There were things I needed and knew I wouldn't have the chance to get back out and get them. The things I wanted fell by the wayside, of course, but I HAD to get a couple things.

If you are out and about and see that mom, please think twice before judging her. It's true what they say, after all, that you should "never judge a man until you walk a mile in their shoes." I will admit that pre-children, I probably would have wondered why that mom couldn't "keep her kids in line," but now I know that no matter how good of a mom you are, your child is going to have bad days just like everyone else. It seems like they have more of them at the age of 3 than prior years, but they are human just like you! ;)

And if you are a mom and feel like you might be that mom one day, you aren't alone and you will get through it. Deep breaths, prayers, chocolate, and nap/bed time. 

I'm excited!

I am excited because several of my friends and family have become interested in Paleo and many of them are beginning to try it. Since it's something I've become passionate about and it's working so well for us, it really encourages me to see people around me trying it too!

I weigh what I did in High School... HIGH SCHOOL. And I have had 2 babies. Plus, I haven't begun working out yet. These results are simply from changing my diet. AND I'm still losing. 

Speaking of working out... I'm mentioning it here to give myself some accountability. It seems impossible to start working out when I have 2 high energy children and there are no guarantees of getting a moment of free time. I've made excuses and have not had the desire to start... but it's seriously time to lose the extra skin from my last baby (6 months old) and tone up! Not to mention, my hubby keeps challenging me to join him at CrossFit on Saturdays, and I don't want to be embarrassed or cry because I'm so out of shape. ;)

This morning I'm adapting a Better Homes and Garden pancake recipe to make Paleo pancakes. I'll post what I did if they turn out. ;)

Paleo Scones

Okay, so the cavemen probably would not have gone to the trouble of milling almond flour and they wouldn't have had an oven but this recipe contains mostly ingredients they would have been able to find. There is a lot of controversy amongst Paleo eaters and there is quite a large gray area. I'm not trying to rock the boat here. I just want to make Paleo more accessible to those of us who LOVE baked goods. :)

Paleo Scones

Makes approximately 6 scones

2 large eggs, beaten until frothy

1/4 C Agave Nectar or Honey (Sometimes I use even less)

1 tsp vanilla

1 C Almond Flour

*1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder 

1 pinch of sea salt

1-2 tsp of Cinnamon

Fresh ground Nutmeg

1/2 C Berries or other fruit (My favorite so far is a combo of peaches and raspberries)

*This isn't really Paleo so use your judgement here. Some consider substitutes like whipped egg whites or even the 2 parts cream of tartar to 1 part baking soda more acceptable. I choose to pick my battles and since this is a miniscule amount per serving and doesn't seem to affect my progress, I use baking powder

Preheat oven to 375 and line pan with parchment paper (or don't, it's just a little harder to get them off)

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Pour in the eggs, honey, and vanilla. Stir until combined. Fold in berries/fruit, or leave plain! 

Using 2 tablespoons or a cookie scoop, drop batter on pan into about 6 even scones. Each scone is usually 1-2 heaping tablespoon(s).

Bake in the oven for 12 minutes. (You're looking for golden brown tops.) 

Now here is the most important part. I'm not kidding... You have to let these guys cool for at least 10 minutes before digging in. Please don't skip this step. The cooling process gives them that crispy, delicious outside that scones have. :)

Enjoy!

This recipe is super easy to change up so have fun with it! Just be sure you end up with a thick batter, because if you don't, you will end up with something that resembles muffin tops. Not that that's a bad thing, they're just not as good that way!

This recipe was adapted from George Stella. (stellastyle.com)

Gluten Free?

In the past when I heard the term "Gluten-Free," my initial reaction was "eeewwwww... I bet that has no flavor. It must not be good." I'm not sure where those thoughts came from, but I know I loved my homemade breads and pastries. How could one make a delicious anything without flours and sugars? 

Well, it took a little bit but I honestly feel like I've done a 180. Since switching our diet, I have learned that those foods that I LOVED before make me feel sick and sluggish. And that "gross" gluten-free food makes me have energy and feel good. Also? A lot of it tastes AMAZING! 

You do have to be careful though, because just because it is gluten-free, doesn't mean it's Paleo. A lot of g-f items have rice powder or soy which are not Paleo friendly. Is it the worst you could do? Probably not, but I actually prefer those items that don't have anything "extra" in them.

The easiest way to eat g-f treats? Make them! For example, I found an incredible scone recipe that is completely versatile and literally only takes maybe 5 minutes to put the ingredients together. I would say maybe 10 minutes total prep time, 10-15 minutes oven time, and then 10-15 minutes to cool before you enjoy them. So really? Under 10 minutes hands on time to make a delicious and healthy treat? I think it's worth it. There are also websites that offer Paleo snack items and I've even heard of catering companies that will make Paleo food. The times they are a changin'.

I have honestly not ventured into g-f bread making land, but my husband has been begging me to try. So supposing I have time between chasing kiddos and running errands, I'm hoping to try this week. I'll let you know how it goes.

Later this week... I'll share that delicious scone recipe! ;)

Almond Flour 101

Questions are raised all of the time about the cost of almond flour and where to purchase it. It is significantly more expensive than regular flour and when you're replacing a cheaper staple item with a more expensive one, it's important to find ways to cut costs. Well... the best price I have found is in bulk online. You may want to make sure you like almond flour and know you're going to use it all the time before going this route. 

The first time I purchased it was just to try it, and I bought a 5lb bag for what seemed like a good deal. Once I found out I LOVED it and knew I would use a ton of it, I moved on to a 25 pound box.

                                   

Oh yes. That's right. 25 pounds... Crazy, I know. BUT when I added up how much I would be saving with less shipping costs, plus the savings of buying in bulk, it was worth it. Like $13 per 5lb bag savings worth it! 

I ordered it through Honeyville and even read in the reviews that someone with celiac disease (absolutely can not have any sort of products when gluten at all) checked to make sure nothing else could possibly be in it, and they assured her that it was 100% natural almonds. Nothing else was processed on that machinery. 

Side note: Around holidays, Honeyville runs a sale that usually offers a 15% or 20% off any product on their website. This is when I purchased our almond flour. Also, shipping is always $4.49 no matter how much your order weighs! 

Other side note: I promise I am not advertising for Honeyville. I found this product on my own and have reviewed and tested it on my own. No one paid me or sent me product to write this. ;)

                                   

You might be thinking... What on earth does someone do with 25 pounds of almond flour??? Good question! You store it in ziplock bags and freeze most of it for use later on!

Here's how I do it...

I get out my trusty scale, a big bowl, and label a freezer safe ziplock bag with the date, Almond Flour, and # of lbs. (I do 3lbs per bag because...well... it just seemed to work best.)

Then I ZERO my scale! I don't ever forget, because I NEVER make mistakes and wouldn't want to have a random 2.47# bag. ;)

Then I scoop out my 3# into the bag of my ZEROED scale. ;) 

I try to get as much air out of the bag as possible because I want to take every precaution possible to preserve the $ I spent. (Air in freezer bag= higher chance of freezer burn. Yuck.) I use the fancy shmancy straw method. (Yes, I know. I know. Shmancy is not actually a word.) You put the straw in the corner of the bag, zip the bag up with the straw in the corner, and suck the air out. Then pull the straw out and close the bag the rest of the way. 

It may take a couple tries... I even had to go back and reseal bags and get more air out of them.

It will be worth it in the end when your freezer is stocked and you don't have to worry about almond flour for several months!

So, if your willing to take maybe 30 minutes to bag your own flour, it's totally worth the $ saved if you want to start using almond flour! 

Here's the link to where I purchased mine... Honeyville Blanched Almond Flour

(Ends up being roughly $19 per 5lb bag shipped to your door if you buy it on a sale day. If you go to the grocery store, it's around $10 per 1 pound bag. That's not a typo. $10 for ONE pound.)

Almond flour is my new best friend

I am not certain I had even heard of almond flour until I started researching the Paleo "Diet." Now I feel shameful. Almond flour is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Even if you don't want to change your diet, please do yourself a favor and bake with it a little. You have to have the right recipes and you have to give yourself a chance to get used to a slightly different texture than a "normal" baked good, but it's SO worth it.

 The possibilities are endless. I've made moist chocolate cookies, cinnamon streusel muffins, peach and blueberry scones, and pancakes. You can also make breads, and well pretty much anything really. It's not exactly the same as flour, but I'm starting to think it's better and not just because it's better for you. The almond flour adds flavor to baked goods. Mmmmm! Who would have thought that every element to your baked goods would play such a critical role in flavor?

 And also? You can use it to "bread" things like, chicken, eggplant, and fish. I just add seasoning and pretend the almond flour is breadcrumbs. I really don't miss the breadcrumbs.

Paleo

Paleo... When I first heard about the "Paleo Diet," I was intrigued. I had heard that it was a different way of eating and a different way of looking at food, but I wanted to know more. What was so different about it? Why was it supposedly a better way of eating? I had so many questions and the more I researched the more I wanted to know. The basic concept is that we should be eating more like people during the Paleolithic Period. Meat, fruits, veggies, nuts, and eggs.

There is a ton of research and background that I won't get into, but one thing I read in Robb Wolf's, "The Paleo Solution," talked about the skeletons of people prior to farming. The farmer's teeth were terrible, broken, brittle, rotten, while those prior to that era had nice, strong teeth. The foods they were eating contributed greatly to the strength of their teeth, and other areas of their bodies, I'm sure.

 My main beef with this whole thing? Flour and corn. Everything that they say we should be eating is natural. What is so bad about flour and corn? God made wheat, just like he made berries. Why can't we eat it? Well, it's been genetically altered by us, to the point that it is nothing like original wheat. We have been mass producing wheat and corn for decades. Agriculture has found ways to make it grow faster, more efficiently, and bigger. It's to the point where many of our bodies can not properly process it correctly.

Once again, if you want the science behind all of this, please read Robb Wolf's book. The proof that I have is the fact that when we altered our diet and did "hardcore Paleo" for 30 days, I noticed significant changes. I had more energy, felt better, lost weight in areas that I have never been able to lose weight in, and had clear skin for the first time since I was 6 (that might be a slight exaggeration, but I can't remember the last time I had clear skin.) When we had a "cheat meal" to celebrate making it through our 30 days, my husband and I felt awful; bloated, sleepy, our stomachs hurt, and we just wanted to eat and eat and eat. Not fun.

 We try to eat at least 90% Paleo. Sometimes we have "cheat meals" and sometimes I need a scoop of ice cream. I'd like to transition to eating closer to 100%, but we're just doing the best we can. There are a million more things I can say about Paleo and what it's done for us and why I was skeptical, but I'll save some of that for future posts.

This style of eating has been known to REVERSE diabetes and other autoimmune diseases, and at minimum, make them better. Robb Wolf himself was in the doctor's office and hospital often with varying stomach issues. He ate "healthy" as a vegetarian and he just couldn't understand why his body was failing. They wanted him to take all kinds of medicine and basically told him he would have to deal with this for the rest of his life. Well? After doing some research, he decided to change his diet. His issues? Completely resolved. The doctors couldn't believe it and most of them even denied the fact that eating meat, fruits, and veggies without whole wheats and such could have possibly cured him. I think the "proof is in the pudding."

 If you're intrigued, I encourage you to do more research or just try eating this way for 30 days. 30 days is not very long and I promise you will notice changes. I don't want to beat anyone over the head with this, but I want you to know that it really has made a difference for us.

It's been a while

That moment when you have a million things on your mind that you want to write and then as soon as you sit down and try to put your thoughts into words, you draw a complete blank... That just happened.

It's been a while. I miss blogging. But having 2 kiddos, visitors, a husband who just started a new job, and you know, daily tasks like cooking and cleaning makes it difficult to sit down and write about it all. I plan to write some more personal(ish) blogs here, but I am also going to add something new to this page.

Our family has made a lot of changes to our eating style and a lot of my friends have been asking about it. So, I'm going to start posting some of our recipes and tips for eating Paleo. In those blogs, I'll talk about what "Paleo" is exactly and why we decided to change our diet completely. These recipes are delicious, and I think you will enjoy them whether you are eating 100% or 1% Paleo.

 Also? I make no promises. Any time I get all bushy tailed and bright eyed about blogging again, life happens and I give up within a week. I make no guarantees to the number or frequencies of posts. I hope to eventually move all my "Paleo posts" to separate blog, but I'm going to see how it goes here first.

Things you should NEVER say to a pregnant woman

1. So you're due any day now, right?
2. When I respond with, "well I have 6 1/2 weeks or so left," you DEFINITELY should not widen your eyes and say OHHHhhhh.
3. Was it planned?
4. Are you having twins?
5. Make predictions about the gender based on the woman's size/shape... No No. It doesn't always work like that and you will probably say something that won't go over well.
6. Make comments about the fact that the woman chooses to birth a certain way. You don't know all of the details of why she came to the decision that she wants a drug free birth or a cesearean and quite frankly, it's not your business.
7. You look bigger today.
8. You're really packing on the weight with this one, huh?
9. Do you exercise? (Why is this your business?)
10. Ask her the same question or questions every time you see her? I guarantee she's already answered the "when are you due?" and " are you having a boy or girl" question 9 million times. Please write it down, look it up on facebook, or ask a mutual friend. 1-2 times asking is probably okay, but it's not necessary every time or every other time you see them.
11. Don't judge or give your input about a decision they've made unless they ask.

I know there are many more, but these are some of the ones that have gotten under my skin lately.

So...how can you have a conversation or be nice or cordial to a woman who is pregnant?

1. Pretend that they aren't pregnant. They are still the same person with the same basic needs they have always had... Treat them as such. Ask them how they are doing, if they have any plans for the weekend,...
2. Compliment them profusely. Tell them they look radiant and beautiful, that they don't look like they've gained a lot of weight. That you hope you look that good when you're pregnant.

The uninformed patient

Two years ago, October 21st, I gave birth to my beautiful daughter. I truly enjoyed my pregnancy with her, the good, the bad, and the ugly. In some strange way, despite all of the "ugly" that happened during my labor and birth, I enjoyed it as well. The pain was excruciating, but it had a purpose. I was about to meet the most precious gift I had ever received.

Fast forward to today and I still hold onto a lot of the trauma that occurred during my labor and delivery. Some things happened that absolutely should not have happened. One of the midwives who did not know me from Adam acted like an OB instead of a midwife. She didn't seem to care what I wanted and didn't even bother introducing herself to me. It would take a very long blog and maybe even a chapter in a book to explain what all went wrong; the unprofessionalism, lack of knowledge, lack of care. But for right now, I need to get one thing off of my chest about the delivery.

I had a prenatal appointment for my current pregnancy a couple weeks ago. My midwife, one that I really respect and trust and have connected with the most, sat me down to talk about my last delivery and strong desire for a natural birth. She informed me that my firstborn had shoulder dystocia, meaning that her shoulder got stuck under my pubic bone and they were close to having to break her collar bone. This could have caused my child nerve damage, paralysis, or brain damage due to lack of oxygen from being constricted. It all happened so quickly that I had no idea her shoulder was that stuck. The midwife should have told me what had happened while I was in the hospital. I should have known for my own sake, but also to look out for any nerve damage/lack of movement in her arm. But I wasn't informed. My midwife, during the appointment, also needed to let me know that because it happened with my previous child, it is more likely to happen again.

I was heartbroken and I spent the most of the next week or so crying. This was my labor and delivery. This was my body. This was my child. I had the right to know what happened and that it might happen again. Instead I had to wait nearly two years to find out. It makes me sick to think that a medical professional would not take the time to tell her patient what had happened to her and her child.

Exposed

Hi. My name is Danae and I am a perfectionist. I also have pride tied into my perfectionism which is not a very good thing.

Let me start by saying this...

My house is probably only clean clean 1za0% of the time. It's probably mostly clean 50% of the time. (Mostly clean meaning it would take less than an hour to straighten up the entire house.) The rest of the time it's messy.

I can't imagine anyone with a toddler can keep up with their house every day. Even though every single time I have been to a few people with young children's homes, they've been immaculate. They must have cleaning fairies or hire someone. I just don't think it's possible.

So a friend needed to pick up something from me today and I cringed at the thought of her seeing the piles of clothes or the random assortment of who-knows-what scattered across the floor from my toddler. I was just not feeling up to cleaning today after a busy day yesterday and she was at my house within 10 minutes.

I was exposed. Someone besides my husband and toddler saw my house in it's messy state. Once my friend was in the house, I was calm...but the parts leading up to it were incredibly scary for me.

I am not sure why I have this issue. I've always been the type of person who would tell people how I really am when they asked. I don't feel the need to hide emotions by saying "I'm great." If I say it, I probably mean it.

So why do I have this issue with people seeing that I can't always keep a clean house? I don't think anyone else really cares except me.

Apathetic

If you know me at all or you have read my posts, you have probably figured out that I'm pretty high strung. I stress about pretty much everything and anything. And if I run out of things to stress about, I find something else. It's really quite awful and annoying. Lately, it's been worse than usual for no particular reason. Just ask my poor hubby who tries to tell me how ridiculous it is that I stress about the most minuscule things.

Today, for the first time in a long LONG time, I feel apathetic. I don't care that there is a laundry pile, half a couch wide stacked higher than the couch. I don't care that my lovely offspring has pulled apart the drawers in the bathroom or has found toys and has thrown them all over the living room. Or about the pile of styrofoam that used to be in the form of a cup when I gave my child popcorn yesterday. I don't really care that I haven't actually done dishes since yesterday or that it's already 7pm, and I haven't started dinner.

I'm not stressed for the first time in months. It's a beautiful thing.

Now if I could only bottle up this feeling and take a sip whenever I needed it. ;)

This mommy needs a break

I don't want to sound ungrateful. I love my little girl. And she is usually a really good baby. However, monster child keeps appearing and I REALLY don't like it. You know that whiny, everything needs to go my way or I will throw a fit behavior? Yeah... about that. I've tried ignoring, simply telling her that it was bad behavior, raising my voice a little, and the hand smack. Nothing works. She doesn't care. And this sort of constant behavior is enough to make me want to seclude myself on an island for a few days. Or in my case, my bedroom. Or maybe even the bathroom.

Am I the only one who finds the bathroom peaceful? I feel like even if I can just get in there for a minute, I can have complete silence. I guess this is something I never understood until I had a baby. When you're pregnant, the bathroom is sort of a place of comfort; a place to relieve that early nausea, a place to sit and not feel back pain for a few moments. It's where we run every hour or so in the middle of the night to relieve the pressure on our bladder. And it's a place where we can light a candle, listen to music, and not feel pain or pressure as we soak in a tub full of steamy water. You don't really ever think about how much time you spend in the bathroom until after your pregnancy or like me, when you just need those 3 minutes to catch your breath.

My sister stayed with me for a little while and she thought it was insane that I liked being in the bathroom or that I would go there to escape. My hubby still does not understand. But I guess it's one of those things only I have to get.

Do you have a strange place you like to escape to for a few minutes or more? Am I the only one who finds the bathroom peaceful?

I'm in love

CSA

After years upon years of contemplating whether or not to join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), I decided it was time. Because of the price, we decided our best bet would be to split a full share with friends of ours.

Even though our farmer keeps telling us, it will get much better, I am SO happy with our decision to join. We are getting a variety of veggies that we eat often and a few that are different.

Can I just tell you that the taste of fresh veggies directly from the farmer is unlike anything I've experienced? I took some of the zucchini, summer squash, garlic scapes, and onion from this week's share, put them in a pan with a little olive oil, and let them do their thing. It didn't need anything else. The veggies were so flavorful and fresh. Mmmmm!

As for our garden...It is sadly filled with weeds that are taller than me; and I'm 5'9". My hubby and I agreed to go to town on it on Sunday. Since we're a part of the CSA, we've decided to only plant things I will can. So we will plant green beans, tomatoes, and cucumbers. I'm excited, but not looking forward to the weeding part.

Good week

This week, overall, has been surprisingly good; aside from some major back pain and laziness earlier in the week. I found out some great and exciting news from one of my closest friends, and I hit a goal today that I had no idea I'd hit!

I have not been eating very well lately and my workouts have been thrown out the window. Between our trip to New York and then some major back pain, I haven't been able to do much of anything. It stinks, but that is just how it is right now.

So, I begrudgingly decided to step on the scale. And to my surprise, the number had dropped. In fact, I have reached 20 POUNDS of weight loss! I feel like I have reached the other side. I still want to lose about 16 more pounds, but I know now that I can do it! I'm over half way there! I have all the right tools and I know what I need to do to get there. I'm able to make realistic goals for myself and keep off the weight!

The working out and losing weight also offers up a good distraction for other things that are going on... like the changes I talked about in my last post. I don't think I look that much different, but I feel leaps and bounds better than I did before I started losing the extra weight. Yay!

Another reason this week has been so good is because we were able to make another good size payment on my student loans, and after sitting down and doing some calculations I realized that we will definitely be able to pay them off by the end of September. (barring some sort of large and unexpected expense) That's just 3 months away! 3 months until we will be DEBT FREE! (minus the mortgage which we look at as an investment and not debt)

I'm feeling much lighter these days. ;)

I thought I could handle change...

I always thought I was one of those people who didn't have issues with change. I moved from New York to Tennessee without thinking twice. I've adapted to several moves and significant changes without a problem. But now, things are different.

There are so many changes happening at once, and I am baffled. My sister not only got married, but is moving to VA for grad school. My other sister is graduating high school. One of my friends is moving to California. My sister-in-law is getting married and moving within the year. Two of my cousins are getting married within the year. The dynamics of life in TN and visiting our hometowns are about to change drastically.

On top of that, my little girl is no longer a baby. She is a little girl. She has so much personality, is absorbing everything like crazy, and can have short conversations. I know this is just something I have to learn to get over because the older she gets, the less she will rely on her momma and dadda. But as much as I love the fact that she chooses to hug and kiss me and can answer my questions, I miss being everything to her.

The more I think about it, maybe the problem this time is not the change, but the fact that the change is out of my control. I could change pretty much any decision I've made, but I can't control or change what others do around me. Not that I'd want to... I guess I just have to accept that things are different and move on.

If only it were that easy for me.

Mixed Emotions...Sister getting married edition

Today started out with cuddles from my sweet little E. What better way to start the day than cuddling your babe? Then I made some white whole wheat raspberry pancakes and we enjoyed them; E with her milk and me with my coffee.

I find myself avoiding the inevitable. My sister, whom I've only recently developed a really great friendship with, is getting married. I have to pack. I have to vacuum my car. I have to get ready. I have to go to Ohio and then on to New York. She IS getting married.

I shouldn't feel weird by this. Her and her fiance have been together as long as my husband and I. (A couple weeks longer according to my sister who doesn't let that slide.) Her future husband is a great guy and I'm so glad my sister has found her soulmate.

But despite all we have been through, how many fights we've had, and how many great memories we've made, she is still my sister. And my sister is about to make one of the biggest, best, most exciting, and scariest changes one can make.

Despite the weird feeling I have, I am thrilled for my sister and her fiance. I know they will make each other really happy and they've been looking forward to this day for a long time. I am so proud of my sister.

Silence is a beautiful thing

It's 4pm. The house is [mostly] clean, including scrubbed toilets which I try to do as infrequently as possible. The dogs are [actually] calm and sleeping on the floor. The baby is in her crib silently snuggling her buddy, and my husband is at work.

And I... I am in an over-sized hoodie on our super comfy recliner, resting.

Life is good.

I'm only human

There are days where I think being a female stinks. Days like today where my emotions are completely out of whack and I feel as though I have no control over them. I'm not a big crier by any means and I can't seem to make myself stop crying today. And honestly? I have absolutely no reason to cry. None. Whatsoever.

Stress has taken over my body and I feel helpless. I have been working so hard to get ahead because I knew this week would be a little overwhelming. I have kept up with my house, planted tomatoes in egg cartons, bathed my child, prepared all sorts of cake decorating stuff ahead of time, and yet I still feel as though I am three steps behind. The house... well it's a mess today. The yard hasn't been mowed in over 2 weeks due to the rain and us not being home/around/able to mow when it hasn't been raining. The garbage is overflowing and I can't exactly take the garbage to the dump when the garbage cans are full of water because the wind blew the lids off and the rain filled them. I hate putting nasty, muddy garbage cans in my new-to-me vehicle.

So there is all of that which really amounts to nothing if you think about it. And there is a LOT of positive. Like...

- I've lost 15 pounds and over 7 inches (probably over 10 now but haven't measured in a while)
- I've been happier and healthier
- God has really blessed us financially this month
- My sister is getting married in a few weeks
- My baby girl is...well... about as close to perfect as one can get
- I have a nice house, a newish vehicle, and a wonderful church
- I get to stay at home with my girl
- I have an awesome hubby

It's seriously time for me to snap out of it. :)