Halloween 2013

Tomorrow is Halloween! I am so excited. This is kitten's first year trick or treating. We have been deciding for 2 months what his costume will be. It literally changes every time we ask him. He wanted to be a golfer, princess, tennis player, football player, baseball player, basketball player (see a theme?) a pirate, and I can't even remember what else.

We randomly found an ASU football costume for him so that is what we went with.

Last week we were at Disneyland for a day and it was so fun ya'll. I have always loved Disneyland. Its magic. But as an adult and sharing these moments with your kids is a feeling I can't even describe. It was our second time back this year and we are going for a week in December for Christmas. Disney is officially our thing.

I have never been during Halloween so it was so neat to see all the decor. Space Mountain, the ride I hate, and Mike's favorite was the first thing we rode. Um, no one told me about the demons and scary voices they use during Halloween. I almost peed myself. Jackson was just tall enough to go on the ride so he sat with Mike, while I sat a few cars back with one of my nieces.

We get off the ride and I'm bawling, for 2 reasons. 1) I was scared. I don't remember it being that scary. 2) I had a feeling that Jackson either fell out or he was just as scared. We all exit the ride and guess what? He is asking Mike if they can go again. WTF??????? Meanwhile, my 6 year old niece is having a complete meltdown. On to the next ride!

We also did Mickey's Trick or Treat Party that night. Its a separate event from the normal hours of the park, so that means, more money for different tickets! Totally worth it though. They keep some of the rides open and you get to trick or treat all over the park. And Disney don't play with that cheap candy, they give you the good stuff. Highly recommend.

Tonight, we are carving pumpkins, painting pumpkins, and hopefully watching Boston win the world series. Or else I'll have a very grumpy husband on my hands. Go Sox! (As a Yankee fan, it killed me to just type that) Ugh.

Also, just a quick reminder that yesterday 10/29/13, was NATIONAL CAT DAY!! I mean, what? The most perfect day of the year you say? Close. Christmas and my birthday are tied for first. This is a close second. In honor of that, here is the most ridiculous picture ever. Thank you Pier 1 for the best mask. MEOW!

A few of my favorites!

Go Devils! 

It's Fall!

Do you smell that? Its the wonderful aroma of pumpkin. I am burning my second round of pumpkin candles, and its only October 9th.  ALL PUMPKIN EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!

I am a little obsessed with this time of year. I love getting outside more, the fresh, crisp air in the mornings, and the decor. OMFG, the decor! We are still putting up Halloween decorations because every time I go to the store, I find more shit. Mike, poor Mike. He pretty much hates Halloween. We went to a Halloween store a few weeks ago and his exact words leaving were "just not my cup of tea". Poor guy. Now that we have a son, I am even more into Halloween. I liked it as a kid, getting candy was great. But now I am just obsessed with it.

I'm even obsessed with Thanksgiving decorations. I mean, really? Thanksgiving to me used to always be that weird in between holiday that was great to celebrate, but that there weren't really any designated decorations for. You could be the trailer trash with your Halloween decor still up, or the eager beavers with the Christmas decor. But...I have discovered Pottery Barn and all its glory. Its has so much to offer for JUST Thanksgiving. I know, right? Super cool.

So I have some platters, flatware, candles, and butternut squash candle holders on the way. I'm excited, if you can't already tell.

What is your favorite holiday and why?

Hello everyone! Happy Tuesday. I've been MIA since last week and that is because I have been super busy!

I think I may have mentioned this but I am now officially super mom! *Cue the theme song* But really, I volunteer at my sons school for the local APA (their version of the PTA) and it is very time consuming. Fun, but since its my first year and I am still learning the ropes, its overwhelming.

Anyway, can we please talk about Breaking Bad? I mean...what the actual fuck just happened? ****DISCLAIMER- Spoiler alerts ahead. If you are not caught up, DO NOT READ AHEAD!*****

Hank. Poor Hank. He was my favorite (besides Saul). I knew it had to happen, but it made me so sad. I cried for 30 minutes after watching it last night. (Finally caught up!) I feel like this is going to be one of those shows where no one survives, except maybe Flynn and Holly. Maybe Skyler too.

I know Marie is going to have her moment next episode. She is about to go bat shit crazy ya'll. I can't believe how my emotions have been played with so much! I was totally rooting for Walt in the beginning. I thought to myself "how can Skyler be so cunty? If she only knew what he was doing for her and their kids".  Man, do I feel STUPID.

I don't even have the slightest clue where this is going but I know one thing, I will either need a Xanax or to smoke a bowl beforehand.

Thoughts? Also, kudos to twitter. You have been on fire with the trending topics and meme's the last few days!

Breaking Bad on Buzzfeed

Its raining in Arizona!

Holy moly. Has hell froze over? Its rained 2 days in a row here in AZ. This doesn't happen as much as I would like.

Anyway, no big blog today. Just a catch up post to say hello! The look of this blog is going to be changing very soon, so stay tuned! Also, I'd love to hear feedback on topics. Right now this blog is pretty random. And I'd love for this to be a forum to open discussions in your lives about things that are going on.

Also, since its fucking Monday, you have my permission to treat yourself! Go have a pedicure, buy the purse, and eat some chocolate.  Have a great week!

Its Game Day!

Today is a very special day. Its Game Day! Do you know what that means? Its an excuse to yell, cheer, drink booze and eat fried food and not feel guilty! YAY!!!!

I love this time of year. The weather is changing, well, for most of you. If you are in Arizona like me, its only getting hotter and muggier. We have a high of 110 today. Yes you read that right. One hundred and ten fucking degrees. And today is opening night for Arizona State. Shoot. Me. Now. Oh well, a true fan doesn't let a little heat get in the way.

We have been season ticket holders for years. My parents were when I was a kid and now my husband and I are. Phoenix is the 5th largest city in the country. ASU is the largest university in the country, recently surpassing Ohio State for that title. What what! All those people and most of them are from somewhere else. My husband and I are both second generation natives to this state, which is super rare. So, we hope to pass on what little tradition we have to our son, a future Devil. I will 100% disown him if he even thinks about choosing that school down south, of which, we don't speak.

So, here's to another great college football season. Give em' hell Devils!!

September is IC Awareness Month

Hello friends. This is my second post for September and its only the 4th! I'm super excited about the fact that I have been dedicated to this blog for 48 hours.

 I know my posts are usually filled with humor and lots of cursing, but today I would like to take a minute to talk about something a little more serious. (So PSA of me, right?)

September is a month that is very near and dear to my heart. It is Interstitial Cystitis and Ovarian Cancer Awareness month. If you don't live under a rock, you know that ovarian cancer is a very serious, and deadly disease. For women between the ages of 35-74, ovarian cancer is the 5th leading cause of death. It is estimated that 1 in 71 women will develop ovarian cancer in their lifetime. (source: www.ovariancancer.org). I have been fortunate enough to not be diagnosed with ovarian cancer, or know anyone that has,  but I know people, who know people. It's also a very real possibility to be in my future in some way, shape or form. I will provide links and info at the end for anyone looking!

 Interstitial Cystitis. Its the most uncomfortable, permanent bladder pain you probably have never heard of. While the numbers are not concrete, they are growing daily. Interstitial cystitis or IC as I will refer to it, is estimated to affect anywhere from 4-12 million people in this country. Its categorized as a bladder condition that consists of multiple (and often different) symptoms. It is more commonly referred to in the medical community as Painful Bladder Syndrome, Pain Bladder Syndrome, or Chronic Pelvic Pain. You can read more about the different IC names here. It is found in men also.

Now, without giving you a bunch of medical info you are not interested in (I will do that at the end with links) I am going to give you my account of what IC is and how it was explained to me:

What it is: The inner lining of my bladder wall has somehow been compromised. I.E., scar tissue, persistent infection, cut or scrape.  It is important to note, there are different types of IC. Please consult a physician for a proper diagnosis.

What it feels like: A permanent urinary tract infection. Lots of cramping, pain. It tends to be the worst about my ovulation cycle and my menstrul period.

What happens when I have a flare: Each flare is different. They are unpredictable, there is no warning, and can be mild, to debilitating. Sometimes I am met with what feels like a horrible UTI, cramps, pain in my pelvic area or bladder, nausea, migraines, rolling headaches, leg cramps. Other times I have urinary frequency (sometimes as little as 30 seconds apart) and half of that time, I don't void anything at all. And rarely, I have all of the above symptoms.

What can be done? Currently there is no cure for IC. Diet plays a huge role for IC patients as certain foods are thought to trigger flares. For example, lemonade and cranberry juice are like battery acid for me. I have eliminated them completely from my diet. There are treatments, several in fact, but none of which are conclusive, and every IC patient is different. There is currently 1 FDA approved medication. Other therapies such as bladder rescue, physical therapy, antidepressants, surgical procedures, antihistamines, neuromodulation, and others are often used.


So now that I have given you the gist, I would like to preface the rest of this entry by saying ASK QUESTIONS! Lots of them. Odds are you know someone with IC or are suffering from it yourself. Get informed, find a good doctor, and keep your head up. Its a long, uncomfortable road. But I promise there is light at the end of the tunnel. Please get in touch with me for more info, or if you would just like to reach out!

Now let me get personal with this. A little over a year ago I woke up in the early morning house with what I felt, was a UTI. It was sudden, which was unlike any other UTI I have ever had, but it felt the same. I was on vacation, so I popped a Vicodin and went back to bed. I was a day away from home so I continued to treat with pain killers and OTC UTI meds until I returned home the next day.

Two days later I was in my primary care physician's office and they were prescribing me a medication because my urine had come back dirty. No surprise, I was on vacation and the night before I woke up in pain, I had a night of drinks, fun, and sex with my oh so sexy husband. In my experience, when I've gotten a UTI, its been from sex.

(I'll try to make this as short as possible). Weeks went by with the same pain. I switched antibiotics 3 times and nothing was helping this UTI pain. I turned to Dr Google. I came across some scary info about a condition called interstitial cystitis. Everything I read was horrifying and like most hypchondriancs, I convinced myself this is what I had and my life was over. I called my OB the next morning (after having read a blog about a girl who's OBGYN had diagnosed her) and got in the next day.

After weeks of tests, urine samples, medicines, and a catheter test, it was determined I did in fact have IC. Now the catheter test, some doctors swear by it, others (including my Urologist who specializes in IC) think its complete garbage. I happen to agree with her but I also feel like its a good tool to further your investigation. What happens is, they insert a catheter into your bladder. They give you 4 different mystery solutions. You are supposed to tell the doctor if any of the solutions make the pain worse. Mystery solution #2 was a winner for me. It was a potassium chloride, which is said to make enhance IC symptoms. The test isn't as widely used anymore for 2 reasons: low sensitivity & specificity, and its painful. I was down for 3 days after this test with an awful flare. There are also other conditions or diseases that mimic IC, so a lot of the time, its also diagnosed by process of elimination.

I started seeing my OBGYN 3 days a week (at $50 a pop!) for bladder rescues. They use a catheter to insert a numbing medication into the bladder, and it supposed to help with pain. I say supposed to because it works for some people. The numbing medication only worked when I had it in my bladder, the second I would urinate it out, the pain would be back. And I was getting chronic UTI's on top of the IC from all the catheters. I was constantly asking for pain medication, which is hard to convince a doctor for when you need it 24/7. I went through Vicodin, Percocet, Tramadol, and I was using OTC meds such as Benadryl, Tylenol, Aleve, Cystex, Peridium daily. Not good for the liver.

I finally decided to start asking questions because our current plan of attack was not working. I was miserable. My anxiety was through the roof, I was getting migraines and rolling headaches (something IC patients often report) and I was seeing doctor after doctor who had ZERO answers for me. I am not exaggerating when I say I saw over 10 different doctors for health issues I was dealing with, as a result of IC. I finally found a female Urologist who specializes in IC. She had made my life so much better. She listens. She's proactive. And now that I am an established patient, I can usually get a same day appointment if I need it. That is unheard of for a specialist of her nature. If you take anything away from this, please, find a good doctor. It may take months. It took me 6. DO NOT GIVE UP! There is someone out there who can help you, and who wants to.

To make a really long story short (I would love to share more if you are interested as I left out a lot of details to make this readable in less than a day. There is also some really good advocacy info in the links I will provide at the end) after countless appointments with random doctors and almost a year straight of being on pain killers, I finally have my IC in the works to be under control. I struggled for many nights, and I still do. There are days I can't get out of bed. There are days when I've questioned going to play in traffic. But... I have adjusted my diet. I am about to start physical therapy. I am exercising again (this is a really important aspect of treating IC as some exercises make the symptoms worse) and I feel good about my future. I am looking to have more kids; pregnancy is totally possible with IC! I still have lots of bad days, but I also have some good ones, which I never would have that when this all started. I should also point out that I suffer from kidney stones so the help I get from my urologist is two fold. I am kidney stone free for the first time in 12 years! That is huge.

I think its important for me to say that there is no scientific evidence to support that IC and Ovarian cancer have anything to do with the other. It just so happens that September is awareness month for both. I am also fortunate enough that IC won't kill me. It may make my life miserable at times, but I am one of the lucky ones. It could definitely be much worse. So please, be supportive for each other in any way that you can. Donate. Run a 5k. Wear a ribbon. And ask questions! It is important to spread the message.

Again, feel free to get in contact with me directly if you have any info, stories to share, or just want to reach out. I am considering my next entry to be about a pain treatment option I have recently taken up, and its not without some controversy! Dun dun dunnnn....!  I will also continue to update you on my progress, my good days, my bad days, and anything in between. Its out in the open now, the least I can do is share the rest of my story. I apologize for being so vague, I promise the story isn't so cut and dry, but I couldn't possibly share it all in just one entry. Do not hesitate to email me, tweet me, or leave a comment in the comments section. I hope to be hearing from you.

Hi. My name is Danielle. I have IC. I am a cat lady. I love leopard print. And life goes on! 

Please see below for some excellent resources regarding Ovarian Cancer and Interstitial Cystisis:

http://www.ovarian.org/

http://ovariancancerawareness.org/

American Cancer Society

www.ichelp.org

IC Network

Interstitial Cystitis Network Facebook page


Books for IC Patients:

The Interstitial Cystitis Survival Guide

The Better Bladder Book

A Taste Of The Good Life: A Cookbook for an Interstitial Cystitis Diet


Want to get involved? Click here to get a list of runs, walks, and other activities in your area!

September

It has been almost 4 months since I have written. Four. Fucking. Months. You know how it goes.

Me: "I swear I will write everyday!"

Blog: "Yea right. Just like you workout everyday?"

Me: "That was really harsh. I do think about you all the time, I just get uhh...busy."


Then my blog flips me off and we stay silent for awhile before finding our way back to each other. Such a love/hate relationship.

This summer was crazy. We traveled, a lot! It was so much fun getting to see different places and having new experiences with my boys. We of course traveled to Coeur D'Alene, our home away from home. It was fun. We swam in the lake. We kayaked (a first!). We SUP'd (if you don't know what this is, google. Now!). We are tons of great food. We had bonfires on the beach.  We enjoyed being outdoors in July (unheard of in Arizona). And then we realized we stayed too long. You know you are a crazy cat lady when you've been gone a mere 2 weeks and have a cry sesh about missing your kitty back home.

Anyway! We went to Seattle for a weekend which was great. Neither Mike or myself had ever been there. It was really expensive, which I didn't expect, and super busy. I love to travel to places in the off-seasons as I feel you get a much better experience. Note to self, try Seattle again in the fall. The famous Pike Place Market was amazing though...really. I wish we had stuff like that here in AZ.
We also did some camping, went to Disneyland, and spent a lot of time with family in Flagstaff....

Its now September 2nd, and my son has been in preschool for 3 weeks. What the hell happened? Where did the last 3 years of my life go? Insane. I've traded Karaoke Wednesdays for PTA and Room Representative meetings! My dream car is now a mini-van. No joke. Before you blast me, have you checked them out? Super convenient. And when you have 2 rambunctious boys (one being my husband) you want all the comforts you can get. Besides, we road trip, a lot. Would you be complaining if you were able to play your PS3 to pass the time? Didn't think so.

2013 is more than halfway over. Its been a great year so far. Lots of ups, lots of downs, but I honestly don't think I would change a thing right now. I said that to someone in a conversation the other day and they were completely surprised by my answer. I'll get to that in a minute. But I just have to say, we bought a hot tub. Hells yea we did! If you don't own one, I highly recommend. Sell your first born, whore out your sister, I don't really care how you get one, just do it. What it has done for our quality of life is unmeasurable. Its the perfect place to unwind, have a cocktail, smoke a joint, or just have a nice chat with my husband after a chaotic day. Anyway... I had a loss this year, the loss of a good friend (not dead, just drifted apart). We've been friends for 10 years and literally just stopped talking. Weird right? Okay, I am kind of, sort of lying...there was a tiny falling out. But nothing that warranted the end of our friendship. To protect the other party, I won't get into details. No drama for your llama!

For months I was so mad. All I could think was "we were never the friends I thought we were". And the truth is, we weren't. We were more. You didn't say ones name without the other. We could finish each other's sentences. I could know what she was thinking with just a funny look. Soul mates. Sisters.

I was pretty devastated, although I never shed a tear. Which was weird. I once cried because my cat looked at me funny. But after not having her in my life for awhile, I realized, I'll be okay. Life will go on as it tends to do, and I'll come out the other side, just as I've always done when I thought I couldn't go on anymore. I'll always love her, and she will always have a very special place in my heart. We are just on two different paths in life, and that is okay. I have nothing bad to say about her, and I will probably junk punch you if you do. I want the every best for her and her life, whatever that may mean.

For the longest time I had it in my head that we all needed to walk the same path. How could we be friends if we weren't going to end up in the same places? There were 4 of us to begin with and slowly but surely 2 left our lives and the strongest 2, the closest 2, remained. The other truth is, we were just meant to be friends. We were never on the same path, and made it work for 10 years. We went to college different places. We had different taste (still do!) in guys. We have different styles. I'm not even sure we liked the same foods. But we made it work because it was important. My hope is that maybe somewhere down the line it will be again. Someone once gave me advice that has stuck with me forever, and its definitely one of my go-to's: "Nothing is ever set in stone." Old friend, if you are reading this, know that I think about you often, and I hope you are finding your happiness.

I hope anyone reading this will stop and take a look at the relationships in your life. They are important. And its important to make an effort, even when you know they haven't. I made a lot of excuses as to why I didn't call or email. And right now, as I type this, I'm still too prideful to make that first phone call (let's be honest, I wasn't the only flake. Jack and I are still waiting on that phone call for the zoo!).  Is it hypocritical of me to tell you to examine your own life and relationships and to make an effort when I won't? Probably. But you cannot fault me for never being honest. I want the best for you, too!  Seriously, I do. If you are reading this, you were apart of my life in some way, at one point or another. Maybe one day I will learn to let my guard down. I can tell you this, I was a good friend. I am a good friend to the people still in my life. I will move heaven and earth for my friends, my loved ones, but I do expect the same in return.

The older I get, which is happening a lot faster than I'd like, the more I realize two things are truly important in life: the people you surround yourself with. And a great handbag.

Happy May!

Holy hell, is it May already? I suck at this blog thing. For reals. April was great! I don't even remember what my last blog was about.

Husband and I celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary, and 9 year anniversary of being together. For you brainiacs, we got married on our 5 year anniversary. *Cue the oohhs and awwws*

That was fun.

We had some strep throat run through the house which sucked. Thank goodness only child (my new name for our son) did not get it. Although another mom told me that little kids can't get it?

Anyway, I've been concentrating really hard this week on my eating and making better choices. I think its working. I'm down 5 pounds on the scale. I've had 2 really good workouts and tonight I hope to have my 3rd!

We are going to Disneyland next week for only child's 3rd birthday. This will be our 3rd Disneyland trip in his lifetime. We've also been to SeaWorld twice. He is so spoiled! But you know what? I don't care. We only get to be parents once. There are no do-overs. And even though the intent is probably selfish, as he won't really remember these memories, we will. Its going by so fast, and I want something to carry with me. So just because you can't afford to take your kids, don't hate. Kidding of course!!

One thing I did want to touch on is something that happened to me a few days ago. I have one child. I am well aware of that, and I am well aware that more children probably equals more effort. I vented a few days ago on my facebook that the 3's really are worse than the Terrible Two's. I was having a shit day. Kid wasn't listening, crying, screaming, hitting, and to top it off, I had a migraine. We are also dealing with some other issues but those are to remain private. Lets leave it at I was having a terrible fucking day!  We aren't even officially into the 3's yet (next week!) and there has already been a huge momentum shift in our house.

I had a fellow mother, that I've known since high school but have never been close friends with,  comment with this:

"My kids are 1, 3, 5....my 3yr old is by far the worst behaved but she's also the middle child which probably makes her act out more. It's just all kinds of stressful with 3 Kids tho....you just have 1 "

I immediately saw red. I am not stupid. In fact, I have a Bachelor of Science in my possession. But what I am not, is a one-upper. I recognize the need for a person to vent about their day, parent or not. Its human. Everyone has bad days. But as a stay at home mom, who doesn't have a lot of mommy friends at her disposal, facebook at that moment was my outlet. I don't know what I was looking for, but I sure as shit was not looking to hear how easy I, in fact, have it.


I'll keep this short because I honestly could go on and on about the type of person I think you are to make such a comment. If someone you know is having a bad day, be empathetic before anything else. Its what they teach my 2 year old at his preschool.

And in case you are wondering, I deleted that bitch. I don't need that in my life and neither do you. 

Quick catch up

Hello my beautiful friends! I really do not have a lot to write about right now, and I'm squeezing this post in while Mike puts down our sick wittle wuv bug for a nap.

My 28th birthday was on Wednesday. I hate birthdays. I hate the idea of getting older. It scares me to the point that I need Xanax on a regular basis. Not even kidding!  But its been a fun celebration nonetheless and we've been going out to dinners with family and shopping! Ohhhh the shopping! I am officially a Louis Vuitton owner! Mike surprised me with a trip to the Louis Vuitton store and let me pick out whatever I wanted! Such a swell guy isn't he? Who knows how long he's been saving for that.

I'll post pics if I ever remember. I even got it Monogrammed!


We are now preparing to celebrate our 4 year wedding anniversary, and our 9 year anniversary of officially getting together. Fun fact: we got married on our 5 year anniversary!






I hope you all are having a fabulous spring and enjoying this beautiful weather. Off to run errands and do some laundry! :D

Post Easter weekend

I am so tired. This past weekend was Easter and we had something to do every. single. day.

Isn't it exhausting? Especially when you have kids? I remember it not being such a big deal when Mike and I were dating. We'd go to a few different places in one day, but hell, it was all free food! Now its like:
-OK, we have to be at House A at 11am for brunch/swimming/egg hunting which means we need to leave our house at exactly 10:25am (5 minute cushion to get out of our neighborhood with extremely large speed bumps!) and swimsuits, swim diapers, extra clothes, toys, sippy cup, sun screen, and ourselves need to be packed and ready to go at 10:15 because we all know it takes us 10 minutes just to get out the fucking door!

-Then that means that I need to be up by 845am (boy Shaw is a late sleeper) to be in the shower sometimes between 9-915am (a few extra minutes for sleep). Still with me?
-That means that we need to be in bed by 1130-12 the night before so I can get some good sleep in for a day full of sun and family fun!

-ANNNNNNNND that means we need to be home between 7-8 so we have time to wind down, take baths, and have a little mommy daddy alone time.

-And if we need to be home by then, we should probably schedule whatever we have the previous day early enough so we can have enough time with that family.

I mean, for fucks sake. Its a production. An exhausting one. Did I mention I'm exhausted? :/

Truth be told, it was an extremely fun weekend though. Friday night was Good Friday which means absolutely nothing to me, but its a big deal for Catholics. So we had cheese pizza, salad, fruit, shrimp (not meat?) and a bunch of random non-meat eats. Mike's mom, brother, our sister in law, and the 4 of the 5 cousins came over to dye Easter eggs! It was boy Shaw's first time and he loved it.

Then Saturday we got up and went to my parents for brunch. My grandparents, who have been married for 60 years came and loved seeing their great grandson. We went on an egg hunt, played basketball, drew with sidewalk chalk, played golf, ate some good grub, and played and played and played. Then we came home, went to Target because it had been exactly 1.5 days since we had been, and then had family movie night. We watched Tangled. Its so damn cute! Its totes laugh out loud funny for adults, highly recommend.

Then Sunday we got up even earlier and did it all again with Mike's family. Egg hunt, food, swimming (so cold!) ice cream, basketball watching, home for naps. Then another movie night.

It was such a great family weekend and I am so genuinely happy that my son has 2 families that love him so very much!

PS- We came home yesterday, the Easter bunny was actually in our house! I walked in the door first, saw him, and tried to catch him, but he was so fast. I must have scared him so badly because he left behind a trail of bunny poop & fur. Poor guy. He escaped out the doggy door just before I grabbed him. He even dropped his tail..

Tuesday.

I had no idea what to title this blog post, so we'll just go with the day of the week.

Thing 1 (my new nickname for our son since I don't really want to use his real name. I've also come up with Boy Shaw) is doing great in his big boy bed. Its very comfy and a nice place to take naps too.

So last Friday, we had a little incident. Well, it was kind of major in my world. Not a lot happens when you are a stay at home mom so any event that is out of the ordinary, is big. Anyway, Thing 1 and I were watching cartoons on the couch when I heard this big thud. Now, in the man cave or family room, or living room (I don't know what the proper wording is for this room) we have two large windows, and two large glass doors that lead to the backyard. Once in a blue moon, a bird will think its water and run into the doors or windows. Figured it was that but got up to check anyway.

And what do I find? My Madeline (kitty #1) with a mouth FULL of feathers, trying to sneak her ass in through the doggy door. I freaked. I screamed. I kicked at her and shoved her back outside with my foot. Then I closed the doggy door and screamed some more. She had a huge Dove in her mouth. Then she dropped it and it was still alive! GAH! Motherf*cker!!!! &*^$%*!!! Bleep! Bleep! Bleep bleep bleep! Feathers everywhere!!

To make a really long, boring story short, I called my vet, who gave me a number, then that number gave me a number, and so on and so on until I had literally called about 10 people trying to find someone to take this fucking bird. Its not even a special kind of bird. There were about 3 more outside on the fence watching this all taking place. Last time I checked, there was no shortage of Doves in the lower 48.  I finally found a woman not too far from us who rescues (yes, rescues!) birds when things like this happen. The thing was still alive and had a broken wing, what was I supposed to do?? Yes, I know, I clearly have a heart of gold. But I wasn't about to break its neck (like some facebook friends suggested) or cook it (like other friends suggested) or let nature takes it course. Because then eventually, I'd have to pick up the bird I let die, and throw it away.

So Mike (who happened to be coming home for lunch that day) scooped the thing up in a box and Thing 1 and I took the bird to this lady's house. Just to give you a clue, she had a Pigeon sitting in a cage on her front porch. A real one. A rat of the sky she was trying to nurse back to health.

I was honestly planning on calling after the weekend to see how the bird was, and then I remembered I really don't care that much now that it is out of my hands and I physically don't have to look at it.

Heart. Of. Gold.

Happy Hump Day.

Does anyone actually know why they call it hump day? I heard an explanation once, but I totally forgot it so... Anyway, this week is flying by! I know most people are on spring break right now for one reason or another, and that sucks. I hope it slows down. I'm enjoying this wonderful Arizona weather.

So, something big happened in our house this weekend. My son, who will be 3 in May, finally made the switch from crib, to big boy bed! Insert mommy tears here. Now, I know you sanctimommies are thinking "you just now switched him over?" And the answer to that is a big, fat, FUCK YES.

It was working for us. If he wasn't super duper tall like his daddy, he'd still be in his crib. He's climbed out twice. Twice! That's it! For you non-parentals, a crib is a great way to keep a child contained. And if anyone has a child like mine, who does not listen, does not sit still, and has the attention span of a gnat, a crib is magical thing you never want to go away. When I needed a shower, I would just turn on his cartoons and plop his little booty in his crib. Boom! There's 10-15 minutes to myself for a nice hot shower.

I started to notice however, that when he was sleeping, he was always in these weird positions. It just looked uncomfortable. He was just too long for his little baby crib and it was time.

So we went and bought the first mattress we looked at. (WTF???) I know. But it was comfortable, I wasn't in the mood to deal with cheesy mattress salesman guy, and Jack hadn't napped that day. It was a little more expensive than I thought it would be, but this will easily last him 10+ years. Oh, did I mention its a full size bed he's in? We skipped the toddler bed completely. His crib was a conversion crib, and the toddler bed was no bigger than his crib. So full size it is!

Night 1 went great actually. Until about 4-5am, he started crying and would not go back to sleep (poor sick baby). So we brought him into our room and we was OUT until like 930. Bliss!

Night 2 was good. He made some weird sound pretty much all night (still sick) and I had no idea when he woke up. He didn't make a peep. What did wake me up was him climbing out the doggy door with my husbands golf clubs. I caught him halfway out. Phew!

This is night 3. So far, we have (and when I say we, I really mean my wonderful husband) has been trying to put him down for almost 2 hours now. I think its going to be a looooonnnnnnnnng night.

Sorry for the not so great pics, iphone. Nuff said. Anyway, we don't have his room figured out yet because a full size bed is HUGE! 

Oh! I totally went to Sephora and got the ingrown hair goop, so I'll report in a few days! I also had a kick ass workout tonight, be proud of me!

Let's talk about what no one wants to talk about.

Waxing. Dun dun dun!!

Okay, so maybe its one of the many things women don't like to talk about. I personally rank it right up there with talking about my weight, hemorrhoids, and old boyfriends. It hurts. Its a pain (literally!) to get to the salon when you have a million other things going on in your life. Its embarrassing to get your nakey ass up on table, in a bright room, in front of a perfect stranger, only to have them face deep in your vagina.

And then, in a matter of 15 minutes (longer if your waxer sucks) you are done, hair free, and feel like a million bucks. So naturally, 3 weeks later, we are back for more.

Now, I must confess, I've only been waxing for about 6 months. I did it once in high school and it hurt so bad I vowed never again. So for the majority of my post pubescent life I did my own woman-scaping. I have an esthetician I see regularly, but only for things like facials, brow waxing, and the occasional underarm wax. She's been doing my brows since I was a freshman. We have a relationship. We know each other. We share secrets in her room that I would never tell another living soul. How in the hell could I ever look her in the eye again if she waxed my bikini? I couldn't. So I never got it done.

Then one day last year, I was out shopping and running some errands. I came across a European Wax Center. They are pretty much everywhere. I've heard lovely things, but had yet to step foot in one. I don't know if it was curiosity that got the better of me, or courage, but before I realized what I was really doing, I was walking in..

It was clean. It was boutique style AKA cute!  The girls at the front were SO friendly. How could I leave this place without trying it? I needed to know what the hype was about. So I made an appointment. I'll spare you the details of my first experience but I can tell you it wasn't so bad, that I never went back. I've since become a package ordering, product coveting, member.

So back to the point of this post, because that was all rambling bull. I DO NOT consider myself an expert, but I pretty much get the jist of how waxing works now. But now I have a bigger problem, and this is even worse than overgrown pubic hair.

*Quick side note, if you are a mom, you automatically have a built in excuse for EVERYTHING in your life. Everything. If you have yet to master this, please contact me ASAP and I will school you in Excuses 101. *

Okay so anyway, my now bigger problem is ingrown hairs. Its so embarrassing. I. Just. Can't. You guys.....ingrown motherfucking hairs! Like what the actual fuck? What else do you want to throw at me mother nature? FUCK YOU! They are the awful ones that look kind of like zits, or if you want to get really graphic, scabs. GAH! So ladies, I need to know your best remedy for them. I've tried the serum EWC sells. Its lovely and I will continue to use it, but its not working.

My latest purchase has been the Bliss Ingrown Hair Eliminating Pads. I get them at Sephora for about $38. Not cheap. They seem to be helping, but not completely ridding me of my ahem, problem. I'm still torn on whether or not they are worth the investment. The instructions say to wait 24-48 hours after hair removal to use the pads. Bullshit. I used those bitches the minutes I got home over the weekend. It stung for a total of 10 seconds, but I think it was worth it. It seems to be helping better than when I would wait. So, the jury is still out. If you are interested, they look like this:

Get it here!

Another product that I am interested in trying (and will this week) is this, which has gotten some pretty rave reviews on the interwebz:

Get it here!

Has anyone tried it? Tweet me if you have. I'd love to know your experience!  I'd also love for you to share some stories with me about your waxing mishaps. Think the strips are better? Love EWC? Let me know. I'll be sure to report as soon as I can get my hands on some of this miracle worker they call Tend Skin.

So here ends my long ass post about the ridiculous hazards of waxing. Ladies, if you do wax and have the same problem I do, make sure your partner at least appreciates the trouble you go through to be hair free. You first tonight. Winky face!

Ken's Fitness Journey

I thought of something I wanted needed to share! A friend of mine has started a journey. A weight loss journey. A life changing journey!  I love these types of stories and anytime I can get my hands on one, I feel compelled to share/tell someone I know/cry.

I won't do any spoiling, and yes, you are going to have to quit being lazy, and click the link to get the good deets, but I promise you, its worth it. It may even *gasp* motivate you too!

Ken's Fitness Journey

As I try to come up with some good/different/interesting/relevant topics, one that is always in the back of my mind, is fitness and weight loss. I know how hard it is to get into a routine. I know how awful it is to look in the mirror and cry. I know what it feels like to want to cancel your plans because you don't have anything to wear, or you feel fat. I want you all to know that this is a safe place where we can talk about how we need to lose the weight, how we feel so fucking tired we don't want to work out, and how, its Saturday!

You aren't alone peeps! Just know that.


Before this gets too sappy, here's an LOLcat:

So, its been awhile....again.

Hello everyone! Happy 2013!


I know, I know....I KNOW! It's been like 856298576 years since I have posted. You know the drill. So much to talk about, then BOOM! Notta.

Welp, its officially 2013 and we are all still here. That is pretty exciting. I will admit, I was one of those fearful people who thought maybe, just maybe, December 21, 2012 was it. We didn't prep or any weirdness like that, but I was super anxious that entire day.

I know its already the beginning of March, but a lot went down in 2012, so lets recap:

-Ali cat went missing. We found her 2 days later on the golf course. Super sad. And I still have her ashes, in an urn, in the bottom drawer of my nightstand. If that doesn't scream cat lady, I don't know what will.

-We got a new cat, Lily for my birthday. We had her for 8 months until she disappeared 2 days before Christmas. I know what you are thinking, that we suck as cat owners. But before you go and call the animal version of CPS, let me assure you, we take very good care of our pets and love them dearly. Our cats use our doggy door. Lily was sitting on our back porch when we left to do some last minute Christmas shopping. When we came home, she wasn't around, and we never found her. So IDK if a hoarder neighbor has her, or if she went to kitty heaven. Either way, it was really awful for me, and there are days I still grieve.

-All is well with the in-laws. We have kissed, and made up, and are in such a better place than we ever were! Yay us! Its so great to be able to see my son grow up with his cousins and develop friendships with them. He loves to go over to their house and play. Plus, I truly feel I've gained a sister in all of this and that is fantastic! Seeing as how I have just the one younger sib, and he's a boy, and I've always wanted a sister, its just peaches n cream.

-We traveled, A LOT! It was so fun. We went to Cabo, Idaho, Newport Beach, Disneyland, and of course our home away from home, Flagstaff just about every weekend we were physically in Arizona. It was super fun and I'm hoping 2013 is just as jam packed. I love being on the go, and I love to travel. We are so blessed to have families with money (lets be real here) so we can mooch and go stay with them in places with amazing weather.

2013 hasn't brought too many changes...yet. My dad turned 50. That was weird for me. And I think it was weird for him too. My parents have always, ALWAYS been the youngest parents out of any of my friends, teammates, classmates, etc. I always brag to people when I can about how young my parents are, I think its awesome! But 50. 50 is so.....not old, but its a definite milestone. The idea of getting older terrifies me. I picture life as a timeline and 50 just has this huge red flag next to it. Like, hey, you are 50 dad! Time to start thinking about wills, and life insurance. Don't get me wrong, I know he isn't going to croak tomorrow, but its scary, OKAY?! Geez.

We just adopted a new kitty a few days ago. I really feel like 3 is our magic number, for a few reasons. One, I hate one of our current cats but don't have the heart to do anything with her. She's mean, she pees in my laundry on the floor, and she's fat. Oh and she hates to be picked up. I love to pick up my cats! The other one is just an adorable ball of fur, who's gotten closer to me as time has gone on. Her name is Madeline. She's a doll, but still not the cuddly little fur-baby I was hoping for.

This new one though, whooo! Let me tell you. She's needy. VERY needy. And I like that. I'm needy. So I feel like the two of us together are two peas in a pod. She loves to cuddle. She loves to get right up in your face. She loves animals of all kinds, and she loves people. We weren't looking to add another, but every now and then I get on the AHS website and cruise the adoptables. When I saw her bio, I felt like it was written for us. It spoke to me. So we went and met her, she played with Jack's little red car he had with him and boom. It was over. I knew she was coming home with us. Plus we have the resources to save a life, why not? Good karma man, I'm telling ya.

I'll post a few pictures of new kitty soon. She can't sit still for more than 3 seconds so its hard to get a good one. But she''s a doll. I love her so much already. This one, is staying inside though.


Quick shameless plug, and then I'm out. If you or someone you know is looking to add to their family, please, I'm begging you, consider adoption or rescue. All of our animals are rescues and there is truly nothing like them. I'll leave some links below which are some great resources. There are always tons of animals looking for their forever homes!

Arizona Humane Society
Friends of Arizona Shelter Animals
Halo Animal Rescue