Late Night "Craving" (plus photos of my mini kitchen makeover!)

Ever up late watching TV and just feel the need to grab a bag of chips and pig out?  Please tell me I'm not the only one...

Late night snacking, as I have shared, is an issue with me.  I've been doing pretty good with it since beginning my September Challenge (no late night snacking- in case you missed the post).  Well the other night, I was catching up on some of my TV shows and I REALLY wanted some chips...I mean BAD.  I fought with myself for a while and then I got up, opened up the pantry and went to grab the bag of Doritos....but, I saw something that caught my eye.

Before I tell you what it was....a little back story on where it came from.  A while back, some of the ladies at church did a bible study called Made To Crave by Lysa Terkeurst.  In a nutshell, it's about learning to replace your cravings for food with a craving for God.  Excellent resource for those looking for spiritual guidance for weight loss. Anywho, in one of the chapters, she tells of how posting various scriptures and positive phrases on index cards around her house really helped her. 

Okay, back to me reaching for the chips.  I was reaching for them when I saw one of the index cards that I had taped to one of my pantry shelves (I had forgotten I had even put it there!)And guess what was right under the card....yep, the Doritos.  My hubby reorganized the pantry the other day (he's a little OCD about certain things....ssshhhh, don't tell him I told you.) and the chips were not in the "normal" spot. 

 

 

I thought about it and decided against the chips.  So, in this case, my hubby's OCD came in handy :)  Food is the most prevalent temptation in my life, so this scripture really hits home. 

 

 

So, just wanted to share this little tip with you guys.  Even if you don't want to post scriptures, any kind of positive phrases would work.  Put them on your refrigerator, in cabinets, pantry, etc.  Anywhere you will be tempted.  Hope this helps :)

 

 

 

Okay, now to the mini kitchen makeover pictures.

 

In one of my early blog posts, I showed you guys pictures of how I made a "tile" kitchen backsplash out of stainless steel contact paper.  I liked it for a while, but the shiny-ness of the paper accentuated every single little flaw on the wall.....and there were a lot of them. 

 

It ate at me long enough and I decided to change it.  Our budget it very tight, so I had to figure out a super inexpensive and temporary way to get a new backsplash.  Since we are renters, I can't permanently change anything. 

 

I had seen some really cute ones on Pinterest and one day I was browsing in Dollar General and I saw the exact contact paper used in one the pictures I saw. 

 

This is the original picture I saw on Pinterest....





So, I see the paper and grab up 5 rolls of it.  All 5 only cost me $12.50.  We were able to do the entire kitchen with it and even had some left.  I think it's super cute and I really love how it turned out.  This paper hides all the flaws on the wall, so now I can sleep better :)

Here's how it turned out...

I love it!  I have to give a lot of the credit to my hubby.  I come up with ideas and he helps me make it happen.  He's definitely a keeper :)  And I even used some of the extra contact paper to dress up my metal coffee can in my little "coffee nook".  I used chalkboard contact paper as the label.

Cute, right?!?!  I think so.  And it only cost me around $12. 

Storage is also an issue for us.  I have always wanted a pot rack, but our kitchen is small and I wasn't sure where it would go.  I was cleaning out one of our closets one day and I noticed we had a curtain rod we were not using and I also found some S-shaped shower curtain hooks and the wheels started turning.  I had the PERFECT place for my pot rack. 

I love how it turned out!  It gives the kitchen some character and charm, plus it's practical.  Now I have more cabinet space for other things. 

Anyway, sorry about the long post.  Just thought I'd share my mini kitchen makeover with you guys since I haven't posted any crafty stuff in a while.  Thanks for reading :)

Until next time....

Migraines And Vitamin D Deficiency???

Hello peeps!  It's been a few weeks, so I thought I'd post an update.

I've been having some bad headaches for the past few weeks and felt pretty awful.  I was feeling so bad that I could barely hold the hairdryer up long enough to dry my hair.  My muscles were aching and I had no energy.  I went to the doctor this week and had blood work done and he told me it sounded like I was having migraines.  Now, I am no stranger to headaches.  I have them all the time.  I was diagnosed with Cluster Headaches in 2009.  Thank the Lord I am only an episodic!  I get them every 2 years for a couple of months at a time.  I don't know how those with Chronic Cluster Headaches survive.  I can't imagine having them everyday of my life- 6-8 times daily.  My heart goes out to those that suffer from it.

 So now I can add migraines to the list of headaches I endure. 

I got a phone call yesterday, from the nurse at my doctor's office, saying that my Vitamin D levels were extremely low....again.  I have already taken 2 rounds of prescription Vitamin D (8 weeks each round- 100,000 units per week) and my levels had risen to a "normal" level. 

I knew I had been feeling sluggish and drained again, but I really thought that it was just because I had been so busy with homeschooling, housework, and life in general.  It makes sense now. 

I did a little research and I was SHOCKED at how important it is to maintain a healthy level of Vitamin D.  Our bodies literally cannot function properly without it. 

Studies show that low Vitamin D levels can increase your risk for cardiovascular disease, asthma, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, glucose intolerance, BREAST CANCER, etc.  There is more, but these are the main risks.  WOW!! 

Symptoms of a Vitamin D Deficiency include impaired immune system (which is probably why I have been getting so many infections), pain in muscles, chronic fatigue, depression, HEADACHES (so maybe this is the cause of my migraines??), soft and fragile bones (my left leg bone is softening), etc.

Studies also show that it is nearly impossible for someone with severely low Vitamin D to lose weight.  Which explains why it's been hard the past couple of months. 

So, I am trying to figure out how to get more Vitamin D.  Obviously the high prescription doses aren't working long term, so what do I do?  In my researching, I found that the best way to get Vitamin D is to get some good ole' sunlight everyday- at least 20 minutes WITHOUT sunblock protection.  I admit, I don't get out very often.  I work from home and stay inside a lot.  I like home :)

After I got the news yesterday, I went for a nice long walk outside while my son rode his bike.  I am going to have to make a conscious effort to go out more.  This condition is much more serious than I originally thought and it makes me feel like a big pile of crapola. 

So, I am working on getting myself well again.   I would urge anyone who thinks they may have low Vitamin D levels to get it checked out.  The majority of people with a Vitamin D deficiency don't know they have it.  It can mask itself with other conditions, which makes it hard to diagnose. 

***Update on my September Challenge (no late night snacking):  It's been going pretty well.  It hasn't been perfect, but I think I have gotten drastically better at it.  It's a process and I have to remember that.  I will continue working on it as I try to think of my next challenge. 

I hope all of my readers are doing well!  Keep calm and keep on keeping on :)

Until next time...

September Challenge

So, I have been thinking a lot about life-long health changes and how to achieve them.  I usually try to change everything all at once, which is the main reason I can't master these changes.  In fact, I know a lot of people who try to do this.  Think about it.  Why should we expect ourselves to change EVERY bad habit that we have formed over a lifetime overnight??  It's impossible!  Our lives are not like light switches. 

Let's say someone does something that really hurts you.  Can you just switch those feeling off with the snap of your fingers?  No!  It takes time to get over.  You have to work through it.  Same concept here. 

For as long as I can remember, I have had an "all or nothing" mentality when it comes to being healthy.  I'm either 100% ON or 100% OFF.  So far, I haven't been able to change that about myself.

So, I have come up with a plan that I think may work.  It's a slow going plan, but I think it's what is best for me. 

Each month I will challenge myself to new change.  Only one change.  I know it doesn't sound like much, but this is a lifelong battle.  I have to figure out a way to overcome my bad habits and incorporate new, healthy habits.  Habits are formed by doing something on a regular basis, right?  I think that changing one thing each month will help me get to where I want to be.  I will focus on being diligent with whatever challenge I am faced with each month. 

For the month of September, I have challenged myself NOT to do any snacking (WHATSOEVER) after dinner.  Late night snacking has been an issue for me for a long time.  I believe it's one of the main reasons I am unhealthy.  I will only allow myself to have water or a non caloric drink. 

Each month, I will come up with a new challenge and incorporate it with the previous challenge.  Like I said, it will be a slow process but I think it will work.  Baby steps. 

So, what do you think about my plan?  Do you think it's a good plan? 

I welcome anyone who wants to join in with me.  The more, the merrier. 

Until next time... 

Moments That Make Life Grand

First of all, sorry I haven't checked in lately.  I've been really busy and just haven't had time.  Life has been a little hectic lately, but I'm doing pretty good.  Can't complain too much.  My son's foot is much better (almost completely 100%), my leg infection is better....things are looking up. 

Now, on to the point of my post.

Do you ever have thoughts that you are under-appreciated?  Do you ever think that nobody really understands what you are going through?  Even those closest to you? 

Well, I have to admit that lately I have had some of those thoughts.  Lots of things were happening all at once and it was very chaotic for me.  I don't handle stress very well either.  My husband is the complete opposite.  Most of the time, he handles stress like a true champ.  He's my rock. 

Just as those thoughts were piling up, he went and did something so special, so awesome, and so kind. 

Friday morning, after waking up and getting ready for school to start, I go to our classroom to start preparing for the day.  I sat down to find a huge envelope sitting on my desk.  Here's what the envelope said:  For Pamela:  DO NOT OPEN until instructed to.  Very important.

Well, anyone who knows me, knows I don't like not knowing what's going on.  So, I called my hubby and I couldn't get anything out of him.  He wasn't talking and wasn't going to.  Couldn't even bribe him!  Well, he called me back around 12:00 noon and told me I could open it.  Here's what I found inside.

Well, I don't know about you, but this had me freaking out a little!  What in the world??  And it sounded so "official".  I had no idea what was going on!

This was also inside the big envelope.  6 smaller envelopes and $10 cash.  I couldn't open the first envelope until 2:10, so of course, I had all sorts of thoughts running through my head.  Is this some sort of scavenger hunt?  Am I going to have to something crazy?  And my husband really enjoyed torturing me with this.  He kept throwing in little comments like "You don't mind digging through the mud, do you?" or "You're okay with singing karaoke, right?".  So, of course I was quite freaked out!!  He had me pretty scared!

I was a good girl and did everything he asked and waited until 2:10 to open envelope 1.  Here's what it said...

Ahhh, what a relief!!  After restraining myself from correcting all the typos (LOL), I headed out.  And I must say, it was much needed.  After I finished up at the salon, I opened up envelope 2.  Here's what it said....

Are you kidding me?  This was awesome!!  This is where the cash came in.  I went by and got a Java Chip Frosty Bean (basically a Frapp) from our local coffee shop and the rest was used to tip the guy at the nail salon.  The letter says manicure, but he meant pedicure.  Men...they just don't know all these technical women terms, lol.  I have never in my life gotten the "fancy" pedicure with the exfoliating scrubs, the skin masks, the hot towel wraps, and the hot stone massage.  This was AMAZING!!!  It totally spoiled me and I never want a "regular" pedicure again! 

I got back to my car and opened up envelope 3.  Here's what it said...

By this point, I was beside myself.  I have never gotten to do all this awesome stuff in one day.  I was amazed, truly amazed.  So, I got myself a couple of new shirts and a new pair of dress pants.  MUCH NEEDED!  At this point I'm thinking, "What else could possibly be in the other envelopes!".  I paid for my new clothes (with my gift card!!) and opened up envelope 4.  Here's what it said...

Wow!  So I go home and get dressed.  My hair is looking awesome, my feet are all smooth and pretty, and I put my new clothes on.  So off we go to Tarragon Grill.  Dinner was amazing!  I had the Sausage Lasagna and Kevin had the Blackened Chicken Alfredo.  We got back in the car and I opened envelope 5.  Here's what it said...

The hair appt, pedicure, shopping, and dinner took a little longer than expected so I opted to rent a movie and go home.  We curled up on the couch and watched "The Lucky One".  After the movie was over, I opened the final envelope.  Here's what it said.

I think he meant to say "I bet you CAN figure it out from the picture below.".  I restrained from correcting it though.  Yep, he gave me a massage.  After all the wonderful things he planned for me, he gave me a massage.  He totally spoiled me!  I have to say, it was nice to feel pampered and so appreciated. 

He spent a lot of time and effort planning this for me.  I was in awe of his thoughtfulness.  Needless to say, I feel SO appreciated and loved.  Truly blessed.  I've always known that he appreciates me, but it's really nice having something so special planned for me as a reminder.  We all need reminding every once in a while that we are special and appreciated.  This is probably one of the sweetest things he has ever done for me and I will always remember it.

Anyway, just thought this was worth sharing. 

Until next time...